UPDATE, 11:23 a.m. Whitney Road between Carter and Fellows roads in Perinton has closed.
UPDATE, 11:10 a.m. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, speaking in Lodi, Seneca County near flood-ravaged shore of Seneca Lake, said as many as 50 people remained trapped by high water and debris. Firefighters who drove in to help them earlier Tuesday morning also are trapped, he said.
"It’s amazing, the devastation. It’s not just the water. You have about a quarter of a mile of (road covering with) trees and debris and stumps," he said.
Boats are evacuating people from the area, and heavy equipment is enroute to clear a road of debris so more rescuers can reach those who are trapped, the governor said.
Cuomo said the Seneca County sheriff has now ordered an evacuation of the area."These are people who choose to say. We run into this situation over and over," he said. "The safe choice is to leave ... if you know you're in an area that tends to flood."
Cuomo urged others in areas threatened by high water to get to a safe place.
“More rain is expected. Floods are nothing to play with. I know everything thinks ‘We want to stay in our homes. I don’t want to leave.’” the governor said. “When you become trapped in a situation like this, it is dangerous and you have a lot of first responders who have to respond and put their lives in danger to come help you.”
UPDATE, 10:45 a.m. A state of emergency has been declared in Monroe County due to flooding and road closures in and around Perinton. The declaration does not mean that travel is restricted elsewhere in the county but is meant to alert the public to problems in Monroe's southeastern corner.
Impacted roads include westbound Route 96 at Woodcliff; Route 96 near the on- and off-ramps from Interstate-490 in Perinton; Park Road; Woolston Road; Carter Road at Whitney Road; and Penfield Road (Route 441) near Harris Road and Carter Road.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is rushing to hard-hit Seneca County, where the county sheriff's office has declared a state of emergency and issued a travel advisory following heavy rain and major flooding in the southern end of the county.
The same storm complex that led to flooding in the southern Finger Lakes has moved north, prompting a flash-flood warning for southern Monroe County, northwestern Ontario County and southwestern Wayne County.
Two to three inches of rain had already fallen in that area by 9:15 a.m., the National Weather Service said, with an additional inch possible.
The warning, issued at 9:21 a.m., said flash flooding of roads and low-lying areas is possible in an area that includes Penfield, Perinton, Victor, Macedon and Farmington.
Monroe County sheriff's deputies are seeing roadway flooding near Route 96 in Perinton, including on nearby Garnsey Road, said sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Mike Zamiara. A 68-year-old woman on Garnsey drove into standing water by the Interstate 490 overpass, causing her vehicle to become stuck in the water. She was not injured.
Motorists should avoid driving into standing water and should seek alternate routes, he said.
That warning extends until 12:45 p.m.
In Seneca County, Sheriff Tim Luce advised a "no unnecessary travel" alert early Tuesday as numerous homes and roadways are flooded. Deputies said the towns of Covert and Lodi have experienced major flooding. Numerous roads are closed because of high water.
Luce declared a state of emergency for the towns of Covert, Lodi, Ovid and Romulus due to flooding around 8:30 a.m. A similar state of emergency was issued for neighboring Schuyler County.
The Schuyler County Sheriff's Office also declared a state of emergency and closed several roads, including State Routes 14 and 414.
The National Weather Service early Tuesday issued a flash flood warning for several Southern Tier locations, including southwestern Seneca County and southeastern Yates County. The warning expires at 10:15 a.m.
Forecasters also issued a flood advisory for Seneca County through 9 a.m.
Heavy rain in the Southern Tier will cause rapid rises and possible flash flooding of streams and creeks, overflow of ditches and culverts, and ponding of water on roads, according to the Weather Service.
Cuomo will survey the damage at a campground in Lodi, which is on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, at 10 a.m. He is expected to speak to the media at that time.
All Seneca County resident are asked to shelter in place, deputies said. At least one water rescue has been made near Cayuga Lake Tuesday morning, according to social media reports.
Two to five inches of rain have already fallen in the area, and flash flooding is already underway, according to the Weather Service.
Meteorologists said the storm is moving across New York and that moderate to heavy rain is expected in Ontario, Wayne and Monroe counties on Tuesday morning. Around 1.5 inches, that could cause minor flooding, is expected to fall around 8:30 a.m.
Ontario County has sent several water rescue teams to assist, according to the Ontario County Sheriff's Office.
Seneca County is about an hour southeast of Rochester, between Seneca and Cayuga lakes.
The water level in Seneca and Cayuga, the two largest Finger Lakes, has risen three inches in the last six hours due to the heavy rain.
Further details of the flooding were not immediately available.
