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I was born in 1967 and would have been only 4 when the flood came through Chemung County. We were living on Acorn Drive on Orchard Knoll in Horseheads. Up high enough to not have to worry about water. The only problem living on that hill is that all the water above you comes downhill. Downhill right into your basement.

My father had a Lionel Train collection at the time and I remember my parents and grandparents putting all the cars and engines in baggies (remember the alligator on the box?) and twist tying them shut and then placing them into liquor boxes and putting them up on top of the train layout so they wouldn't get wet. The water in the basement was only about 12-18 inches deep. That was our only damage.

Now the real problem for us was getting into Horseheads to go shopping. When you leave Orchard Knoll you have to go down Latta Brook Road across Newtown Creek, which was now a river. My dad did take his pickup truck through it one time and then thought better of doing it again. This was before the major water came through. So to get into town he would have to go out Latta Brook Road. I don't remember which roads he took to get into town but I think the main goal was to get to Arnot Mall.