State Senator Patty Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, says she is encouraging people affected by the recent historic flooding on the St. Lawrence River to share their stories in an online survey designed to help prevent future problems along the shorelines.

The survey—which is being conducted by the International Joint Commission's Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee—asks victims to answer questions and share stories as well as pictures of any damage caused by the flooding. The survey can be found in a link on Ritchie’s website, www.ritchie.nysenate.gov, takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. The deadline to participate is Dec. 31.

This flooding, which was the worst this region has seen in 100 years, is still affecting thousands of homes and businesses in Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties, Ritchie said in a press release.

“I encourage anyone who was affected by this devastating flooding to complete this online survey and share the stories of erosion and damage to their property,” Ritchie said in a prepared statement. “As we continue to pick up the pieces, sharing your experiences with this joint U.S.-Canada panel ensures we are working together to learn everything we can to try and prevent this historic flooding—and the damage it caused—from happening again.