BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- Freezing rain and sleet came down non-stop throughout the day Tuesday in Broome County. The concern begins once that combination turns into heavy rains overnight and into Wednesday.
"If enough rain does materialize and enough snow does in fact melt, we will transition from flood watch to flood warnings," said Michael Schaffner, a NOAA service hydrologist.
"We're going to have to keep a close look at streams. People should be very aware if they live along streams," said Brett Chellis, the Broome County emergency services director.
In both Conklin and in Vestal, the Susquehanna River is expected to overflow by one to two feet, meaning its minor or moderate flooding.
"Minor flooding kind of being low-lying flooding. Moderate would maybe get to some of the homes and some of the properties closest to the river," said Schaffner.
The ice storm may not be hitting Broome County as hard, but a flood watch is in effect for the area. Karen Lee reports.
Forecasters predict total accumulations to be anywhere from one to two inches. But if Mother Nature decides to throw down a little more rain:
"Just a little more rain could cause situation where some people may need to move. So people living in flood-prone areas along the rivers, do need to be observant," said Chellis.
'"The best thing to do is just to keep track of our watch and warnings. You could easily check it on the NOAA weather radio or web page," said Schaffner.
And they're encouraging everyone to sign up for NY Alert, the system that warns of emergencies through text message, voice mail and e-mail.