The winds and rain started slowly and came in bands. True to what the local experts predicted, it was more of a wind event then a rain event. We probably got several inches of rain but it fell over a long period of time and it was definitely not in the amounts that we saw with Hurricane Irene. The WV Creek and the Esopus rose but not substantially.
The power went out about 2:00 pm but then came back on for an hour or so. I thought we would have more time before we lost it completely but that didn't turn out to be true. When the lights went out the second time they went out for good.
The worst of the storm came between 6 and midnight. The winds really picked up around 7:00pm and got crazy for a few hours. At times it sounded like a freight train coming through the valley. Trees and tree limbs rained down all over Woodland Valley Road. The road was closed and impassable for several hours.
Earlier in the day one of my friends in the valley told me that her friend from Louisiana had called and told her to do what they do in a storm, which is, have a "hunker down" party. They watch the weather channel and every time the announcer says "hunker down" they have a shot. Right about 8:00pm in a very strong and sustained gust of wind I heard a huge crash and something hit my house with a large bang. My house shook. I was truly terrified. In those few seconds God clearly said to me "hunker down"! So despite my disapproving attitude regarding drinking alone, I walked straight to my liquor cabinet and did a shot of vodka. I thought if I was going to die I should at least be a little happier!
Anyway, the alcohol gave me the courage to go outside and see what happened. Turns out a big tree fell and snapped the utility pole on the road in front of my house sending the transformer down near the road. It ripped the mast with the electric out of my roof (which is what I heard) and bent the pole.The good part of all this is that it happened after the power was already off. Had it happened when the power was still on there may have been a fire.
It was a long night waiting for the next tree to fall. Thankfully only a few more small ones did. The highway department came through somewhere between 10 and 11, and, in the pouring rain, pushed aside the debris and made the road passable for emergency vehicles. I must admit I had to "hunker down" one more time so I could get some sleep. But things were better by morning.
Don't be too alarmed by the photo above. There were only a few scenerios like this in the valley. All the homes I can see from the road seem fine, although there are a lot of downed trees. You should have your neighbors check for tree damage when you get the chance.
We are still without power and phone and the Shandaken website says that may be true for 2-3 days more. The lines are damaged in a lot of places. But the cleanup has started and shouldn't take too long. All in all this storm was much less damaging for our area than hurricane Irene. I would say we dodged a bullet this time. I have begun to clean up the mess at my house and everyone else is doing the same.
My most heartfelt thanks go out to all the emergency responders (police, ambulance and fire fighters), highway department personal, and power company workers who risk their own lives in situations like this to help others! They are truly brave and dedicated people!! And, as a final note, I would like to send out my thoughts and prayers to all our friends and loved ones in southern NY and NJ who are facing much more challenging conditions.
