Video shows flood waters gush into Smithtown Library, damage priceless artifacts: Watch
A historic storm that brought with it torrential rains and flash floods to the Northeast last month caused catastrophic damages to areas on Long Island, New York and Connecticut.
The Smithtown Building of Smithtown Library was severely damaged in the storm that dumped nearly 11 inches of rain in Suffolk County, according to Reuters.
Video footage captured from Aug. 19 shows water gushing into the building, breaking down walls and windows, and completely inundating the library's lower level. Books, mud, and debris could be seen floating in the water, which was estimated to be around 10 feet, Reuters reported.
Watch video of flood waters enter Smithtown Library
Precious artifacts damaged
Thousands of books and computers were destroyed in the process and the facility's Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana, which housed priceless historical documents, including papers signed by Thomas Jefferson, were completely damaged. Efforts to restore the precious artifacts are underway and the library has engaged specialists from Detroit, who are working to preserve what they can through freezing and restoration processes.
The flooding cost approximately $10 million in damages, library officials told AccuWeather.
"Due to the storm that occurred during the early morning hours of August 19, which caused torrential flooding, our Smithtown Building suffered catastrophic damage to its lower level," The Smithtown Library said on their website. "Therefore, until further notice, our Smithtown Building will be closed while we continue to assess the damage and begin to rebuild. Our other three buildings remain open to assist our patrons."
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State of emergency in Suffolk County
Besides the library, Harbor Road in Stony Brook also collapsed, creating a huge sinkhole and causing the Mill Pond at Avalon to completely wash out.
Suffolk County executive Ed Romaine had declared a state of emergency for Suffolk County in the aftermath of the storm and had signed a disaster declaration, calling on the state and federal governments to assist with rehabilitation. He estimated damage costs for the entire county at over $50 million.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also signed an executive order declaring a Disaster Emergency for Suffolk County.
Contributing: Reuters
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.