Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) spent Friday on a day-long tour of the Lake Ontario Shoreline to meet with residents and view the disastrous conditions firsthand. Hawley was astounded at the sheer havoc caused by the rising water levels and has urged Gov. Cuomo to petition the International Joint Commission (IJC) to release water from the Moses-Saunders Dam in order to lower water levels in the lake.

“High water levels on the lake, coupled with our recent rainstorms, have wreaked havoc along the entire shoreline,” Hawley said. “It is one thing to see pictures and read about this but seeing it firsthand is absolutely astounding. Action needs to be taken immediately, and Gov. Cuomo needs to send more resources out here and petition the IJC immediately to release water that will lower the lake levels.”

“This is pure and utter chaos,” Hawley said. “Many residents’ homes have been ruined, businesses have been forced to close and evacuate and travel has been heavily restricted. Something must be done immediately to aid the thousands of residents affected by this havoc, and our community is going to need a lot of help from the state level to recover.”