Lee Damages 7,000 Buildings in New York County

State and local inspectors say more than 7,000 properties in Greater Binghamton were damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Lee.

The (Binghamton) Press & Sun-Bulletin reports that inspections carried out in the days after Lee provide a picture of widespread damage that could take communities years to recover from.

Of the 12,897 properties assessed, inspectors determined that 7,273 were damaged and another 47 were destroyed.

Broome County Director of Emergency Services Brett Chellis says information from the inspections has been used over the past few weeks to assess housing needs, plan debris removal and conduct other recovery operations.