Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Early that morning, as rainfall from Tropical Storm Fred reached more than 7 inches within a few days, the house's finished basement was filled with almost half a foot of water. 

Living in that basement was Mike Galbally. He moved there years ago to care for his parents, Carol and the late Thomas Galbally. They bought the house in 1983, and finished the basement years later. They did that because they never could have imagined it flooding, Mike said. Built in 1969, the inside of the ranch-style house had never seen a single unwelcome drop of water.

"This was an anomaly," he told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "A lot of people here were hammered."

As a result of that anomaly, all the carpeting had to be removed from the basement of the house. The wood in the floors, and in the furniture, might have to be removed as well if mold appears.

More devastating to Galbally are the personal items ruined by water damage, including photos, memorabilia and diplomas. An old model train collection of his father's was also destroyed.

"I haven't even had time to accrue what I've lost," he said. "It's immeasurable at this stage."

Galbally is still working with inspectors to check for mold, and technicians to check whether the basement's furnace and other appliances will need to be replaced along with the other damaged items. The process has been slow because so many other people in Cayuga County need those services after the historic rainfall, he said. He believes he's looking at five figures of repair costs.

He and his family could have to absorb those costs, too, as the rainfall was so historic that the house didn't have flood insurance. He's to help, and hopes to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The agency recently asked the county for preliminary damage reports in order to determine whether the area qualifies for assistance.

However Galbally and his family pay to repair the basement, he's not sure whether they should refinish it. Now that he knows it can flood, he worries when it will next.

"We don't want to experience this again," he said.

A similar worry grips Jack Baraczek, of Owasco.

The owner of two houses on Burtis Point with his wife, Jean, he awoke early the morning of Aug. 19 to a call from their neighbors. The wind and rain had sent a 120-foot tree through the roof and first floor of their other house, which the Baraczeks were renting to a family. They were elsewhere in the house, so no one was hurt. But that was only the beginning of the day's devastation. 

After making calls to take care of the tree, the Baraczeks secured their pontoon and fishing boats against the turbulent waters of Owasco Lake. Then they tried to get some sleep. 

At 5:15 a.m., Baraczek awoke again for Mass. But as soon as he looked out the window, he knew he wasn't going anywhere that morning. 

"Our house was an island," he told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "Catastrophic flooding."

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the level of Owasco Lake was 714.47 feet that morning, mere inches from its flood stage of 715. On Burtis Point, the water reached as high as Baraczek's chest and flowed so hard he had to lean forward to avoid being swept away. The last time he saw weather that bad there was 1972 — Hurricane Agnes — but the flooding after Fred was worse.

None of that water entered the Baraczek house. The garages there and at their other house, however, were flooded. He estimates half their contents will have to be thrown away due to water damage or mold. That includes memorabilia like pictures, Eagle Scout awards, and duck decoys from carvers who have passed away. He's afraid of losing a stamp collection started by his father, a World War II veteran, and he doesn't look forward to telling his grandchildren that their cherished 5-foot stuffed Spider-Man had to go away. A couple kayaks and a canoe are missing as well.

Even part of Burtis Point will probably be lost to erosion, Baraczek said. But no material loss matters as much as the fact that no one was hurt. 

"You can replace a house, you can replace things," he said. "But you can't replace people."

Like Galbally, Baraczek is still cleaning and working with crews on mold control and repairs. Unlike Galbally, Baraczek does have flood insurance, so he's also working with adjusters. Enough standing water remains on Burtis Point that mosquitos have been "horrendous," he said, and the silt washed into the area from nearby Dutch Hollow Brook carries a strange, musty odor. 

Now, as hurricane season continues with even more catastrophic flooding in the New York City area, Baraczek wants authorities to take note. He, too, worries the next historic rainfall will happen sooner than 50 years in the future. So if anything can be done to spare the people of Cayuga County the kind of damage he and Galbally suffered, he hopes it is.

"With a tragedy like this, you have to glean some sort of recipe that hopefully can mitigate or minimize it happening again," he said. "I don't think Burtis Point can take another catastrophe."