Beaver Dam Failure Leads to Flooding in New York State

If you're traveling out and about across the roads of New York state, you'll want to be aware of closures.

One main route will be closed for days possibly after a beaver dam broke and caused flooding across the road. CBS says that residents reported the flooding Sunday morning, as they heard a loud crashing sound which was the actual dam breaking.

Beaver dams can normally help ease flooding issues after heavy rain by gradually releasing excess stored water. Normally, the dams can help smooth out water flow. Using branches and logs as the base, these furry engineers will stack rocks, sticks, mud, leaves, and just about anything they can find to build up the rest of the structure. The dams can greatly benefit the ecosystem and surrounding environments for a number of reasons.

WNYT reports that the flooding is on Route 19/Olmstedville Road near Hidden Lake in Warren County. Warren Officials told WNYT that traffic is being diverted for now onto Lane Road, to North Gore Road, to Igerna Road, and then to Route 9.

Instances like this are not too uncommon, especially with heavy rainfall on top of melting snow and ice this time of year.

Other Animal Related News 

Drivers in New York state have to contend with plenty of wildlife already on the roads. It isn't unusual to have to dodge a deer hopping across a busy road, or even a fox, or skunk. It can occasionally make for treacherous travel. Hundreds of accidents happen every year across the state due to drivers swerving to avoid hitting various wildlife darting out in front of them.

But what about horses? According to the New York State Police, a couple of escaped horses decided to make a busy road their own personal raceway back in early February. Troopers shared the post on their Facebook page, showing two pictures of the horses who had escaped from a nearby stable on the Northern State Parkway. It looks like it turned into a bit of a team effort to lure the horses to safety.