'People are overwhelmed': Army of volunteers push flood cleanup forward in Canisteo

The army of volunteers had grabbed a quick breakfast arranged by Mayor Monica Recktenwald, been divided into work groups and were chomping at the bit, ready to charge out the Canisteo Fire Hall doors and help a flood-ravaged community recover from Tropical Storm Debby flooding .

But first, Beverly Flannery had a message to share about loss.

“People are overwhelmed. A flash food is something that you cannot control and the amount of the debris and the severity of the debris is incredible,” said Flannery, a volunteer coordinator with the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief organization.

Canisteo came out of Friday's storm as one of Steuben County's hardest hit areas .

Flood waters receded only to leave mountainous piles of trees, brush and property scattered on top of front and back yards and in fields and roadways.

“Some people have lost their homes completely. Some people thought they could get back in and they have been condemned. They can’t go back," Flannery said.

With that, better than 150 volunteers got to work Thursday for more than five hours, clearing and hauling debris at storm-damaged properties around town .

“We are hoping that we will be able to help with a lot of debris removal, both yards and houses that have been affected by the flooding," said Joy Overacker, Community Outreach director for Steuben County Habitat for Humanity Inc.

There was also inside work being done by volunteers, according to organizers, including in flooded basements where mitigation efforts must be completed within a quick time frame to save the residence.

Habitat pivots from neighborhood revitalization to massive flood cleanup

Habitat originally scheduled a “Brush with Kindness” event in Canisteo for Aug. 13 to help with neighborhood revitalization. After the storm, the group changed gears to take on disaster relief.

“We have been very busy pivoting,” Overacker said. “But fortunately, a lot of community partners stepped forward to help us."

Habitat for Humanity pitched in with 100 volunteers, joining the approximately 60 volunteers from the New York arm of Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief.

The Southern Baptist contingent arrived soon after the storm and they are staying through Saturday to continue with cleanup.

“So what we don’t get done today, they will continue on with their volunteers," Overacker said.

Alfred State EOP students volunteer at flood ravaged properties

Also getting down in the mud, literally at times, were 52 Alfred State College students − incoming freshmen in the college’s Equal Opportunity Program.

The Alfred State EOP students arrive before classes start every August, and as part of their orientation, they give back to the local community.

“Habitat has been very blessed for the past six years that Alfred State EOP has chosen us for their community service,” Overacker said.

Many of the Alfred States were assigned to haul debris at homes on County Road 119.

The cleanup battalion also had at least 50 community residents, volunteers who decided to show up when they heard about the initiative.

Local employers were represented, including about 20 Alstom employees and eight or nine staffers from Maple City Savings.

Overacker said several businesses made significant monetary donations and Wegmans provided boxed lunches.

More: Human service agencies teaming up to aid Steuben County flood victims. How to get help.

Habitat for Humanity: 'Building community and hope'

"The outpouring of support all the way up to 9 p.m. last night has been fabulous." Overacker said.

Volunteers were staying at it until about 3 p.m. on Thursday. An Alfred State bus helped shuttle workers to sites, navigating around closed roads while passing debris-strewn visages.

While total recovery could take years, Overacker saw hope, which is ultimately driving this volunteer mission.

"Habitat is all about by building homes, community and hope," she said.

Email Neal Simon at nsimon@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: 'People are overwhelmed': Army of volunteers push flood cleanup forward in Canisteo