State of Emergency: Upstate New York Town Runs Out of Water

The New York State Governor's Office, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and other state and national organizations are responding after an upstate New York town declared a state of emergency.

Since Sunday night, residents have been urged to not use any tap water for any reason, including showering or washing clothes, as municipal water lines are shut down.

The Village of Whitehall, NY recently declared a state of emergency due to a water shortage (Google)

State of Emergency in Whitehall, NY

The Village of Whitehall, NY declared a state of emergency due to the water shortage on December 8th. Currently, emergency water supplies are being delivered to residents while officials work address the causes of the shutoffs.

Governor Reacts to Whitehall, NY State of Emergency

Governor Kathy Hochul shared that the State Office of Emergency Management has sent crews to Whitehall with supplies of bottled water as well as large water buffalo trucks and even larger water tanker trucks (below).

Cause of Water Shortage in Whitehall, NY

The village is looking at multiple potential causes for the water failure, including low water levels due to recent drought conditions in addition to possible equipment failure at the municipal water treatment facility (below).

Drought Conditions in the Hudson Valley

In the Hudson Valley, water levels have also seemed to drop to near-record lows. Photos of both the Ashokan Reservoir as well as Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY (below) show exactly how far water has receded in recent months.

Water levels at Chadwick Lake in Newburgh, NY have slightly improved between October (L) and December (R) 2024 (TSM Poughkeepsie/Canva)

The combination of more rain on the horizon as well as the influx of aid from emergency response agencies are leading residents of Whitehall to remain optimistic about the state of emergency being lifted in the near future. Another update from the village will be provided at 4pm (find it here).

Wow! Look Who/What Was Born in Upstate New York!

Upstate New York can lay claim to being the birthplace of many famous people and many famous things. And also a lot of infamous ones to. This is a fun gallery of a selection of "birthplaces" in our region. You may have heard of some of them, maybe not. As for me, I was more than a little surprised when I stumbled upon many of these while doing research for my many Upstate New York books. The biggest surprise? Guess where the "Birthplace of the Electric Age" is? How about in the remote forests near the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain! It is an incredible story. Check it out here.

Gallery Credit: Chuck DImperio