Thanks to Debby, you’ll have to go elsewhere in the Mohawk Valley for delicious, homemade ice cream.

Have you ever seen a sign while driving that made you stare at it the whole time? That’s what happened to me while I was driving on Route 5 in Kirkland.

The normally bright and bouncy neon sign at Bonomo’s was not in its usual advertising form. Instead, the sign read something like, “Closed. Check our Facebook page for updates.”

In short, we can thank the remnants of Hurricane Debby for forcing Bonomo’s to close its doors and keep them closed for much longer than they would have liked.

Due to staffing and weather issues, the ice cream shop closed early on Thursday, 9/8, and has been closed since. Debby brought record rainfall to Central New York last week, causing flash flooding and unsafe conditions throughout the Mohawk Valley.

The National Weather Service said the storm dumped 2.42 inches in Washington Mills, 2.09 inches in Utica, 1.98 inches in Westmoreland and 1.25 inches in Whitesboro on Thursday. Those areas received another 2.42 inches, 2.09 inches, 1.98 inches and 1.25 inches the following day, respectively.

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While these amounts may not seem like much, the torrential rain followed several days of rain. The Clinton/Kirkland area endured three days of rain showers earlier in the week and enjoyed a day of partial sunshine the day before Debby arrived.

All of the water backed up and flooded parts of Route 5, causing dangerous river rises.

Above is a photo I took of Oriskany Creek right after Debby. This normally shallow, calm, and semi-transparent stream had become a noisy, overflowing, chocolate-colored mess.

The area at Bonomo’s is unfortunately prone to flooding, so the site may be too waterlogged to be opened safely. It appears that the persistent wet conditions may complicate restoration work.

The good news is that Bonomo’s said their food was intact. Let’s hope the damage was only cosmetic.

As of Monday, Bonomo’s is not yet ready to open.

“Construction manager Ken Olikrunch and his colleague Pete Stachio are asking everyone for patience…” the company said, sharing a photo of a destroyed wall and exposed insulation to show the extent of the damage.

Bonomo’s is currently hoping to reopen soon, but it is uncertain if repairs will be completed by the weekend. The owners apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their support.

Although Bonomo’s arguably has the best ice cream in the Mohawk Valley, we all know that the legendary sweet treats are definitely worth the wait.

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And there is also some good news: the region can look forward to a few sunny days, which will hopefully help dry out the workshop and speed up the repair work.

The National Weather Service forecasts dry weather to last at least through Friday, with rain expected to return to the region over the weekend.