Willing fire department involved in 34+ hour flooding event

When storm storms and torrential rain hit Allegany County on the morning of the Fourth of July, fire departments scrambled. Countless streets were flooded and debris littered roadways. By earlier afternoon Wednesday though, most communities were returning to near normal...except in the town of Willing. Allegany County Fire Coordinator Jeff Luckey said a flood prone creek couldn't handle the massive rain and spilled over its banks. The resulting flooding conditions impacted six homes and a church along the '400 block' section of State Route 19. A portion of the state highway had to be shut down for a while. "They've been at it for 34 hours," Luckey said and it will probably "be 48 hours before its over." Luckey said the situation is improving, thanks to the efforts of firefighters, the town highway department and a helping hand from Otis Eastern. Luckey toured the area today. He said bulldozers have been busy. Since Wednesday, the Willing Volunteer Fire Department has been repeatedly called out to pump water from basements.