Owego Residents Relieved As Flooded House Is Demolished

3/7/2013 (Updated 11:12:24 PM)

OWEGO -- It's been a long time coming according to residents on Liberty Street as one house hit by the 2011 floods was finally demolished.
   
According to neighbor Sonya Mammen the house at 115 Liberty St. has been vacant since the 2006 flood and hasn't been touched since.  Mammen has been unable to open her windows because the smell filled the neighborhood.  The house was demolished on Thursday and Mammen said she was happy to see it go.

"I was nervous about what might be living in there.  Rats, roaches, mice, God only knows [laughs].  But I was mostly excited," Redder said.  "It's been a good ten years I've wanted it to come down.  The water receded a year and a half ago, but half of us are still drowning.  It's things like this that keep reminding us there was a flood."

Owego Mayor Kevin Millar says that two more houses, both on Main St. are also set to be demolished in the coming days.  FEMA will reimburse the village for 75% of demolition costs and other 25% will be picked up by the state.

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