By CRAIG FREILICH

County emergency officials are warning of the potential for more flooding today in several places in the county, some of which are causing concern for them.

A section of State Rt. 420 south of Winthrop, including the bridge over the West Branch of the St. Regis River, has been added to the list of road closures due to flooding.

“Areas experiencing localized flooding are Winthrop/Brasher along the West Branch of the St. Regis River,” said an announcement from St. Lawrence County Director of Emergency Services Michael LeCuyer.

His announcement and one from the state Department of Transportation confirm that DOT has closed Rt. 420 in the Town of Massena between State Rt. 11C and White Road, due to localized flooding. The route will remain closed until further notice, the announcement says.

Not far from there, a section of County Rt. 53 just south of Brasher Falls has been inundated and is closed.

Yesterday, NY DOT closed State Rt. 58 at State Rt. 184 near Pope Mills due to flooding.

Meanwhile county Emergency Services personnel are keeping an eye on other areas where high water is threatening property, at a dam along the Oswegatchie River at South Edwards, , and farther downstream along the Oswegatchie around Heuvelton and nearby Black Lake, where water has risen into several homes.

The South Edwards dam, owned by Brookfield Power, is on the verge of being overtopped, according to LeCuyer.

He said the water on the upstream side of the dam was within six inches of the top this morning and with more rain and snow expected today and tonight, it is feared the water will spill over.

“But as long as it holds the effects will be minor,” LeCuyer said.

Brookfield Power has operators on sight and is monitoring the dam status, he said.

Up until today, the main concern was the rate of snowmelt in warm temperatures causing water levels in and around streams and rivers to rise. Now a more immediate concern is heavy rain.

The weather forecast for the region is for an inch or more of rain over the next 24 hours.

“This additional precipitation will increase river levels with added potential for localized flooding,” LeCuyer said.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the county that will remain in effect until 8 p.m. They say that road and field flooding is likely to continue today.

A dam along the St. Regis at St. Regis Falls in Franklin County has failed, LeCuyer said, and that the St. Lawrence County Highway Department has been made aware of the potentially damaging high water downriver flowing through the northeast corner of the county.

“They are doing hard inspections” of bridges and dams in the area, LeCuyer said.

Levels in Black Lake have risen in the past few days to the point where several homes have been inundated and whole neighborhoods are surrounded by water which, at last report, continued to rise.

“When travelling throughout the county, be aware of road conditions and if water over roads is encountered, please turn around and use an alternate route to reach your destination,” LeCuyer warned.