Flooding is fast, planning is slow

If the waters in the Wallkill River moved as slowly as the efforts to help prevent damage from flooding, farmers in Orange County would have plenty of time to move out of the way.

But the water rises quickly, conditions on the ground have not changed significantly since the last disaster and as one participant in the efforts to tame the river made clear, the big threat is as big as ever.

Because "climate change is a reality," Orange County Planning Commissioner David Church said, "you're going to get these weird downpours at times of year you've never experienced before."

With funding in place and plans being developed, farmers can look forward to some progress in taming the river almost two years after the storms of 2011 took away their crops.

What they need beyond that is a commitment from the federal and state governments to pay attention and provide even more money and expertise when those inevitable storms arise. If they're lucky, the work starting this summer will be enough. So far they have not been able to rely on luck.

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