LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Suffolk County cleanup crews are working to get things back to normal after torrential rains caused severe flooding Sunday night.
Dams also broke at Stump Pond in Blydenburgh Park in Smithtown and Mill Pond at Avalon Park Preserve in Stony Brook.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine issued a disaster declaration on Monday at a news conference about what was left of Stump Pond. Romaine estimated that the unexpected storm caused $50 million in damages.
"It is a huge, huge problem. It's obviously going to affect the hydrology of this area and flooding in other adjacent neighborhoods. No one expected 10 inches in a short period of time. It's clear the once-in-a-centurying far too frequently for 100 years," Romaine said.
Stump Pond was made in 1798, and county officials say the concrete dam that broke had been there since at least 1960 when Suffolk County last took over the property. A county spokesman said they did not know when the dam was last inspected.
Jessica Schmalfuss of Smithtown was near tears looking at what was left of the Pond.
"It's sad, you know you hike around this thing. We've been camped here at Blydenburgh. We took the kids out on rowboats out here," she said.
Homeowners and business owners are encouraged to log damages on the Suffolk County website in the event that state or federal assistance becomes available later.
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