Remembering the 2011 Flood

There are dozens, if not hundreds of unsung heroes that emerged in the aftermath of the September 7th flooding from Tropical Storm Lee. Of course the first responders, various agencies and businesses, neighbors and even strangers.

One person who would never call attention to himself and his service during the flood is Roger Neel. I was stranded at a campground in Pennsylvania and Bob Joseph was also cut off by flooding. For the first time ever, the downtown Binghamton studios were ordered to be evacuated. While other announcers , understandably, had to clear out and set stations on "auto-pilot", Roger, whose own home was sustaining damage, stayed behind and stayed on the air, relating critical information to the region. I felt helpless, stranded in Pennsylvania and was very concerned for Roger's safety. He is a dedicated broadcaster and for several days almost single-handedly fulfilled WNBF's mission of serving and informing the community.