Flood Mitigation Public Meeting

Town Clerk Joyce Grant just sent me this notice about the public meeting being planned for tomorrow in regards to town-wide flood mitigation. It would be a worthwhile meeting to attend for all those in the flood plain.

PUBLIC MEETINGS Scheduled:

New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program for the Town Of Shandaken & Hardenburgh
To Formulate Flood Mitigation Project - Provide input from citizens to appropriate flood mitigation projects

Public Meeting #1 - Open To All

Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 1:00PM - 3:00PM
Upper Belleayre Resort located at 181 Galli Curci Road, Highmount, NY

Public Meeting #2 - Open To All
Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 1:00- 3:00pm
Upper Belleayre Resort located at 181 Galli Curci Road, Highmount, NY

 The New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program (Formerly known as Community Reconstruction Zones), has been established to provide additional rebuilding and revitalization assistance to Communities severely damaged by Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and Tropical Storm Lee

Phoenicia Rotary/Sharp Relief Fund

For those of you who have made contributions to the local reliefs efforts by the Rotary here is some updated information about the distribution of the funds. Looks like they are doing a great job of getting assistance to those in need.

The Rotary/SHARP Storm Relief Status: as of 8 November 2011
Total Contributions - $49,034.00
Total Grants Issued - 129
69 Completed $ Grants - $30,838.00
60 Prepaid $99.00 Supermarket Certificates - $5940.00
Administrative Costs - $12.00 (cost of checks)
Remaining Funds - $12,242.00

Assembling Flood Data

There is a group just formed that is collecting data on the recent flood to get a clearer picture of the damage incurred in our area. The group is being spearheaded by Faye Storms and Kathryn Haber. Below is there request for information. Those of you who would like to participate in this effort can see the details below.

SAVE OUR SHANDAKEN

Our newly formed group of Shandaken residents (all are welcome) has decided to better understand flood damage sustained by the town at large. Toward this end we are asking for your help. No one will benefit financially from costs reported. This data will only, yet very importantly, give us a more global perspective on how our town was affected by the recent flooding events. All data reported will be marked on one inclusive town map located in the Ruth Gale Realty office in Phoenicia.

Please help your town create an updated and relevant FLOOD MAP

Provide us with 5 simple facts

NAME
LOCATION
CONTACT INFO
DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGE
COST OF REPAIRS

Email your information to Saveourshandaken@gmail.com or fill in a form at Ruth Gale Realty in Phoenicia

For more information on Save Our Shandaken visit our Facebook Page

Ongoing Recovery News And Resources

The following information is taken from the Town of Shandaken official site. Please pass it on to anyone who might need assistance or wants to volunteer or donate. It is especially important to get this information out to those who are in need because of the flood.

FEMA will be closing the Disaster Recovery Center located at Belleayre on Sat., Oct. 1. If you have not visited or applied please do so by next Saturday. It is easier to navigate their process while they are here. The center is open daily from 8am-8pm.

Click to download an updated FEMA resource guide to assist you in the funding and processes for assistance:

FEMA DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESOURCE GUIDE

Lost Work? – If you have lost employment or work due to Irene please click the link below to investigate whether you, or your employees are eligible for unemployment benefits through the NYS Department of Labor.

NYS Dept. of Labor website

While we are still in recovery from the storms please note that many of our Commercial Districts have shown resiliency to the flooding. Businesses are open throughout the Town and your support for these businesses and their employees would be greatly appreciated during this time of need.

FINAL VOLUNTEER CALL – We still have a lot of work to accomplish. The CERT Tent will be open on Main St., Phoenicia this coming weekend Sept. 24th & 25th. We are looking for individuals with Pick-up trucks and laborers for continued assistance in removal of flood related damages and debris. Volunteers are asked to convene between 9am and 10am on these days.

DEBRIS : Community dumpsters are located at: Risely Rd., Mt. Tremper; Parish Field, Phoenicia; Shandaken-Allaben Firehouse, Shandaken; Big Indian-Oliverea Firehouse, Big Indian. If you need a pick up, please call the Supervisor’s Office @ (845) 688-7165, or bring it down yourself to the dumpsters. These will only be available for a limited time.

LOST HOMES: If your insurance company has designated your home a total loss and asked to have it demolished please contact Zoning Officer Rich Stokes @ (845) 688-7165 for a demo permit. There are a number of private contractors that can assist in the removal of home demolition materials. The Town will not pay for the equipment or labor for demolition, but for a limited time is willing, in coordination with Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, to alleviate you of the tipping charges for the dumpsters need to remove the structure. Frank’s Septic (845) 586-2757 is offering special rates on dumpsters for demolition work. Please have your contractor contact the Supervisor’s office prior to demolition to make arrangements.

INSURANCE ISSUES?: Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his staff is setting up offices in the hardest-hit areas of New York to directly address concerns related to price gouging, insurance policies and delayed debt payments, among other issues. In Ulster County, representatives from the Attorney General’s Office will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 21 and 28 in the county executive’s office at the County Office Building, 244 Fair St., Kingston. For more information, go to www.ag.ny.gov.

APPLIANCES LOST? : Governor Cuomo Announces $8 Million Household Appliance Program. NYSERDA is offering grants to victims of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee through the New York Storm Relief Rebate Program. With funding from the American Recovery and Investment Act, the $8 million program will assist New Yorkers in the replacement of household appliances that were lost or damaged in the recent flooding. Click the link to download a pdf describing the availability and how to apply:

Household Appliance Grants for Storm Recovery

CLOTHING/HOUSEHOLD ITEMS/CLEANING SUPPLIES & FOOD SPECIAL: This Saturday, Sept., 24 from 10am -5pm at the Shandaken Reformed Church at 5411 Rte 212, Mt. Tremper (half mile from Rte. 28) volunteers will be offering needed supplies and food products for families affected by the storms. Items can be reserved for pick-up at a later date. If you have any questions please contact Jill Byron at (845) 532-1216.

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Sept. 14, 2011 – Following the effects of Tropical Storm Irene and subsequent floods there are a multitude of resources available for a variety of needs. Below is a listing of those resources for both assistance and donations, note that many of this information is available daily at the Town Hall, 7209 Rte. 28, Shandaken, NY 12480:

FEMA – Physically (local) they are located at the lower lodge of Belleayre Mountain. They can be reached by calling 1(800) 621-3362 (FEMA) or on the web at: www.fema.gov. Even if you do not think you qualify, please register with them so the Town can better asses Town Wide damages.

Timberlake Foundation - Jay Jacobs and his staff at Timberlake Camp are offering grant assistance to local homeowners and business owners effected by the storms. Donations to this account can be made to: THE TIMBER LAKE FOUNDATION. In the memo line, please note: PHOENICIA RELIEF FUND. Checks may be sent to their Glen Cove Office: 85 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542. Below is a link to download the pdf application for assistance. Deadline for application is October 10, 2011.

Timberlake – Relief Fund Application

Phoenicia Rotary/ SHARP - The Phoenicia Rotary in coordination with SHARP has grant funds available to residents and businesses effected by the flood. If you would like to make a donation please send checks to: SHARP/Phoenicia Rotary (please note in the memo line: PHOENICIA FLOOD RELIEF), PO Box 362, Phoenicia, NY 12464. If you are in need of assistance please click the link below for a pdf version of the application form. Deadline is open and awards will be made based on immediacy of need.

Rotary/SHARP – Relief Application

Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) -The CWC has announced the availability to local business owners, grant funds to assist in getting their businesses operational, and offset cost of structural damages. The final details of this funding is still being worked out, but an announcement about their funding can be found by clicking the link below to read their press release on this issue. There is a cap of $30,000, no deadline has been set. The Town asks that any business that may be interested in these funds download the Disaster Survey form and submit it to the Town Supervisor’s Office at PO BOX 134, Shandaken, NY 12480 {Fax – (845) 688-2041} before Wed., Sept. 21, 2011.

CWC Business Flood Recovery Program

PHYSICAL DISASTER SURVEY FORM

Ulster County Community Action: is helping the flood victims affected by Hurricane Irene. Please have your clients contact our office. The income guidelines are 125% Poverty Guidelines. They will assist the clients with: Providing emergency food, water, home cleaning supplies; Providing appliances to families whose appliances were damaged due to flooding or power outages; Providing temporary housing assistance to those who remain homeless due to the flooding and power outages. For more information please contact: UCCAC, 70 Lindsley Ave, Kingston, NY 12401 (845) 338-8750 Ext 105

Phoenicia United Methodist Church: The church is no longer accepting clothing donations, but is looking for dry/canned food items to be dispensed through the Shandaken Food Pantry to residents in need. Food may be dropped off daily from 10am-4pm. Also, clothing and food items are available to residents affected by the storms daily at the same times. The Church is located at 25 Church St., Phoenicia, NY 12464. Or call: (845) 688-7680.

Belleayre Mountain – FEMA Recovery assistance is at the lower lodge 8am-8pm, seven days a week. Clothing and food stores are open at the upper lodge to residents from 7am-3pm, seven days a week.

Volunteer Efforts – The Town of Shandaken and the Phoenicia Rotary created CERT (Civilian Emergency Response Team) to assist in the cleanup of debris and household products. Dumpsters are located at various locations throughout the Town for flood related items. If you are in need of assistance please call the Town Hall (845) 688-7165 and we will pass the information along to our resources. We are looking for a large volunteer effort this Saturday and Sunday on Main St., Phoenicia at 10am. We still have work to do.The Rotary will organize it's final volunteer call this weekend. They are asking folks to meet at the tent in front of Mama's Boy between 9am and 10am on both Saturday September 24th & Sunday September 25th. They are looking for people with pickup trucks and also laborers to help remove the damage and debris from the flood. There is still lots for everyone to do. So come and help out if possible.

Community dumpsters are located at: Risely Rd., Mt. Tremper; Parish Field, Phoenicia; Shandaken-Allaben Firehouse, Shandaken; Big Indian-Oliverea Firehouse, Big Indian. If you need a pick up, please call the Supervisor’s Office @ (845) 688-7165, or bring it down yourself to the dumpsters. These will only be available for a limited time.

Volunteers And Donation Info

Maxanne Resnick has been doing a great job of getting out the info for ongoing volunteer and relief efforts. Here is her latest email.

"If you'd like to volunteer in Shandaken, please mark your weekend calendars, see below. Also, keep in mind there is a free holistic health clinic on Sunday (for the next 3 weekends) from 3-6pm, to help nurture back those affected, or those gallantly volunteering.

I will check with the Methodist Church today to get specifics for donations. On Sunday, they told me non-perishable food. Michael Koegel, Mama's Boy, said they are looking for tea, coffee (instant), formula, sugar and first-aid kits.

And, obviously, money will be enormously helpful. For those residents who lost their homes (at least 23 homes were condemned) they are still probably finding temporary housing, and may not yet have a place to put all of the donations.

Thanks everyone. This community (and many from beyond its borders) has really rallied to help. It is heartwarming in a very sad and heartbreaking time."

Maxanne Resnick

FLOOD CLEANUP
NEED HELP?
THE CERT DESK WILL BE OPEN 9/17-18
ON MAIN ST PHOENICIA
@ Mama's Boy Restaurant
CALL ROTARY PRESIDENT KEN JACOBS
845-688-5944
OR CALL THE TOWN HALL
845-688-7165 or 845-688-7169

WANT TO VOLUNTEER?
COME TO THE DESK ON SAT 9/17, SUN 9/18 and/or call the above numbers to offer your help.

DONATIONS
PHOENICIA ROTARY FLOOD RELIEF FUND
PO BOX 660
PHOENICIA NY 12464-0660

100% of all donations will be distributed to Flood Victims.

This is a message from the Shandaken CERT (Civilian Emergency Response Team)

The Town of Shandaken thanks all those who have already given their time, their energy and talents to help our community recover from the devastation of Hurricane Irene.

Giving And Getting Help

There is still a lot of help available around town for residents in need and volunteer opportunities for those of you who are able to help your neighbors.
__________

- FEMA - For those still needing help from FEMA I am told that at this point the agency is no longer operating out of Belleayre. There is a location in Kingston at the Business Resource Center on Ulster Avenue. The only services at Belleayre at this point are clothing distribution and the food pantry. I am not sure how long that will continue to be available there so try and check before you go up.

FEMA recommends that individuals seeking assistance from the center register before visiting. Call the FEMA hot line at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For those with speech or hearing disabilities, use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or with any PDA device at m.fema.gov.

Information needed when registering with FEMA includes the address of the damaged property, names of those living in the household, a general description of the damage, the Social Security account number of any family member living in the home, the extent of insurance coverage and certain other information needed to expedite the process.

_________

- Phoenicia Fire House - The firehouse is still command central in town so if you have problems or questions you can call them at 688-7315. Both the firehouse and the Rotary Club on Main St have clean up supplies for people who need them.
_________

- Clothing - Blankets and Other Donated Goods

The Methodist Church is the central location for clothing and household items. I am not sure whether donated goods are still needed. Please check with the Phoenicia United Methodist Church, 29 Church St., before bringing items to them. They have received a lot of donations.

They are open this week every day from 10-4 to distribute to anyone in need, clothes, toys, non-perishable food items, toiletries, linens, blankets, sheets and more.

Keep in mind, for folks displaced from their homes, they may not be ready yet to take in anything until they find a new place to live. So if you have goods to donate and the church can't take them now check back in a week or two to see if they might need them then.

For furniture - The Rotary is keeping a list of who has furniture to donate, and which folks need furniture.
__________

- Food

The Shandaken Food Pantry will be open every day from 11am-3pm until further notice. If you need food you can get it from them. They are located at the Methodist Church. Donations of non-perishable food and toiletries are welcome. They could also use pet food, especially dry.
__________

- Volunteers Needed Still Needed

Volunteers are needed in Phoenicia tomorrow to continue the post-Irene cleanup. This is mucky work. Wear boots, bring work gloves. Masks, shovels and brooms will be provided. Sign-up at the Phoenicia Rotary table at 9am (or thereafter) in the middle of Phoenicia at "Mama's Boy." PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. Or call Rotary President, Ken Jacobs at 688-5944.

You can also help out at the Methodist Church. They are open from 10-4 every day and could use people to assist residents in finding the right clothing types and sizes.

And remember all these volunteer hours are logged and submitted to FEMA for reimbursement to the town. So your efforts help in that way too.
_________

- Holistic Clinic

If you are in need of some TLC (Tender Loving Care) to help restore you -- then this clinic should be of great help.

The Hurricane Irene Holistic Outreach Clinic will take place for the next 4 Sundays (9/11-10/2) from 3-6pm at Parish Hall in Phoenicia. There is no fee for treatments. No appointments required. There will be a mix of different practitioners each Sunday including but not limited to massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, EFT, reiki, matrix energetics, Shambala energy healing, and more.
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- Stream Management

There is a meeting tomorrow, Saturday, September 10th at 9:30 am at Copperhood Spa, 7039 Rte. 28, Phoenicia, to talk about managing our area rivers/streams. Please attend if you'd like to have your voice weigh in on how we better manage our streams to avoid flooding. If you can't attend, but want to be involved let Elizabeth Winograd know at 688-2460 x0.
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- Monetary Donations

The Rotary Club has a relief fund. If you would like to donate you can stop by the booth in town at Mama's Boy or send a check to:

Rotary Relief Fund
PO Box 660
Phoenicia, NY
12464

Please write the word Flood in the memo line on the lower left hand corner so they know how to direct your donation.

There is also a fundraiser tonight for the Rotary Relief Fund at the pavilion at Al's restaurant. Buy a ticket and support the relief effort!
___________

Everyone in this town has been incredible!! The outpouring of help and support is terrific. If we keep the efforts up our town will be back to normal in no time!!
___________

The video below was made by Karen Milosky documenting the relief efforts:

Up But Not Over

The rain continued all day yesterday and through the night. It came down heavily at times as Tropical Storm Lee passes through the area. I just drove down out of Woodland Valley to Phoenicia and I am happy to report that, while the water was very high again, the Woodland Creek had not jumped it's banks.

Main Street Phoenicia was also dry. The low lying areas of the town were under a voluntary evacuation order this morning. At this point I think people feel that it is better to be safe than sorry. As everyone holds their collective breathe to see what will happen later today, I am happy to say that so far everything is wet but fine.

Dredging Out And Other News

The long overdue dredging of the Stony Clove Creek has finally begun. Since the NYS DEC is waiving it's permit requirements during this disaster, the work in the creek to prevent Phoenicia from flooding has begun in earnest. All other homeowners who need to repair their properties from the damage done by Irene can also take advantage of these same permit waivers. I am unclear how long this situation will last so if you need stream side repairs you might want to think about making them sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, there was an article in today's NY Times with people broaching the subject of moving the town. If I hadn't promised you all that I wouldn't talk about politics on this site I would be ranting right now. But here is a link to the article so you can read it for yourselves:

NY Times - On the Flood Plain, Pondering the Wisdom of Building Anew

While the town of Phoenicia is looking dusty but pretty well on it's way to a full clean up, the Bridge St bridge still hasn't been addressed. The county and town are still dealing with roads that are impassable and residents who cannot easily travel from their homes. Once those more urgent needs are addressed I am sure that the bridge repair (or replacement) will be tackled. But for now that end of town is still a mess.

Town Of Shandaken Emergency Info

This information was in my mailbox yesterday (Sept 2, 2011)

1. For all emergencies call 911.
2. For general information call 688-7315 (Phoenicia Fire Dept)
3. The Belleayre Mountain is still providing food, clothing and shelter to those in need.
4. A bus will be making a loop between Mt. Tremper and Belleayre between 9am and 5pm. Flag the bus if needed.
5. Showers and limited laundry service are available at Belleayre.
6. Dry ice and water are still available at Phoenicia, Shandaken, Big Indian and Pine Hill Fire Houses.
7. Please check on your neighbors.
8. Electric restoration is continuing along Rt 28. Power has been restored to Phoenicia.
9. Donations of clothing and dry goods are being collected and distributed from Belleayre Mtn - Attention Noel
10. All contaminated and unrefrigerated food items should be discarded and NOT consumed. Do not risk illness.

Power To Phoenicia And Part Of WV

Phoenicia got power back late today and shortly after Woodland Valley got power back up to somewhere around Roxmor. Hopefully, the rest of the valley will be on soon!!

FEMA and Recovery Services at Belleayre

The following is from the Watershed Post. You can go to their site to read the full article.

Starting today, FEMA will be opening a disaster recovery center at the Belleayre Ski Center in Highmount. The center will be open today (Friday, September 2) from 12 noon to 8pm, and after that, every day from 8am to 8pm, until further notice. People who need to register for FEMA aid can go to Belleayre, where a station will be set up to help people go through the interview process they will need to complete in order to get help.

The most important thing people can do if they need assistance is to register with FEMA, either by calling 1-800-621-3362 (that's 800-621-FEMA), or by registering online at disasterassistance.gov or fema.gov. Either way, applicants will have to answer a series of questions.

DELAWARE COUNTY FLOOD RECOVERY CENTER: NOW OPEN

Belleayre Ski Center
181 Galli Currci Road
High Mount, NY 12441

SERVICES AVAILABLE AT RECOVERY CENTER ARE:
• Laundry – free use of washers and dryers
• Hot showers - free
• FEMA – from Noon to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept 2nd and then 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily starting Saturday, September 3rd
• Social Services
• Stress Management
• Meals
• New York Department of Labor

CONTINUOUS FREE SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE
FROM NOON TO 5:00 p.m. ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd AND THEN 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. DAILY STARTING SEPTEMBER 3rd STOPPING AT EACH OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ALONG THE ROUTE:

Margaretville Country Store by school
Margaretville Hess Station on State Highway 28
Margaretville Town Hall
Arkville Behive
Clovesville Old Route 28 and corner of Kissimmee Road
Cloveville Baptist Church
Fleischmanns Community Church
Fleischmanns Country Store
Belleayre Ski Center

Latest Info

Here is the latest news I have gathered this morning.

It seems that the MF Whitney Fire Company has become a central spot for coordinating assistance to the community in Phoenicia. People are leaving donations of food and meeting there to offer assistance. If you need help or have something to donate you might want to try there first.

Several community associations including the Rotary Club are meeting today at noon at Mama's Boy in Phoenicia. I believe they too are trying to organize assistance efforts.

Merry Chellas sent me the FEMA emergency number. It is 800-621-3362. She said they were incredibly helpful. She also told me that they said the deadline for applications is October 31st. Apparently, beginning tomorrow they are also going to set up a disaster relief center at Belleayre. I will post more info about that later.

No power or phone yet in Woodland Valley. Phoenicia has phone but no power. The good news is that I see a lot more trucks around working on both issues.

Power Update

For a few minutes there the NYSEG site on the web was reporting that Woodland Valley had power again. But alas, it was just a dream. The folks upstate said they are still in the dark. The NYSEG website has now gone back to saying Sept 7th as the target date. Here is the link to the NYSEG site if you want to continue to check it: http://www.nyseg.com/Outages/outageinformation.html

Bellayre Reachs Out

I have been told that Bellayre has power and has graciously opened itself to residents who are in need. Folks without power can go up and take a shower and do one load of wash per family. People with cars can get there easily and for those without there is a shuttle from Main Street, Phoenicia up to the resort.

The Latest Information

Several people have called and emailed me with the new information on a variety of topics. First of all, Pine Hill has power. if you need to access a Wi-Fi connection both the Pine Hill Library and the Pine Hill Community Center have it. Unfortunately, I am not sure of their hours at this point.

If you are coming upstate remember to bring D batteries for your flashlights. Apparently, they are in short supply in our area.

Many of our residents have been reaching out to NYSEG, Verizon and Time Warner. Here is the message that Jeff Schwartz received from NYSEG:

We are aware of an electricity outage in your area affecting 1618 customer(s). The estimated restoration time is Wednesday, September 07 at 11:00 PM.

So it looks like there might not be power until the middle of next week.

Here is a link to NYSEG's site for obtaining dry ice:and bottled water. http://www.nyseg.com/Outages/dryice.html

I want to say that as the town digs out and heals itself many, many people have stepped up and helped their neighbors. On my personal thank you list is George Holz for getting Harry and I to town right after the flood. David Hershkovits for giving me a ride to Boiceville to check email and blog. Tommy Healy for lending me his equipment. And Bob and Linda McDonald for lending me some propane for my lantern. You are all awesome and I thank you so much!!

Here is another thank you to neighbor Ernie Persons from Laurie Ryan:
"Among the people working so hard to put the pieces back together, I especially want to thank Ernie Persons for having the foresight to knock on everyone's door at 6:00 a.m. and instruct them to move their cars across the Woodland Park Association bridge. So many people have been stranded in other places."
- Laurie Ryan

Ernie has been great in this emergency! He installed a makeshift foot bridge so that the residents of the WV Park Association could get over the stream. I have always said that Ernie was one of the people I would most like to know in an bad situation!! Great job, Ernie!

Lastly, I want to say that this experience has once again proved what an awesome community we live in!! Everyone has stepped up to help out!! This is a trying time but we will all get through this together!

PS - Jeff Schwartz just emailed me with this information.

I just got this email from NYSEG
"We recently restored service to your location on Wednesday, August 31 at 8:30 PM."

I usually verify by calling the house and getting my answering machine or alarm system to respond.

Either NYSEG is incorrect or they connected power but phones are still down at our end.

In an earlier post you indicated some residents had some phone service, do you have their numbers.
I would try to call them to see if they got power also.
- Jeff

Unfortunately, only residents that told me they had phone service in the valley are on Muddy Brook Rd and I do not have their phone number.

If anyone in the valley sees this post and has further information please email me here at: wvview@gmail.com

Also, for those seeking more information about the town in general can go to the live blog on The Watershed Post site;

8:15 UPDATE ON THE POWER - Romer Mt Park has no power so I doubt the rest of the valley has it.

Battered By The Storm

Finally I am somewhere that I can sit and write my account of the last few days. I will try my best to recall it all. So much has happened and I am a bit exhausted from the whole experience.

First let me say that to my knowledge everyone in Woodland Valley is fine. No one was injured and the worst damage I have heard about is that there were some flooded basements. The road has many problems but the highway department is working on it.

It started raining in the afternoon on Saturday. Lightly at first and then heavier as the night wore on. Somewhere around midnight the rain stared falling hard and fast. There are several gauges along the Esopus but the one I usually check is the one at Coldbrook. The usual level for the river at that point is between 4 and 6 feet. The gauge started to climb quickly at about 3:00 am. Somewhere in the early morning it hit 13 feet (flood stage is 11 feet, the final flood peak was close to 25 feet) and since it was supposed to rain all day I knew we were in trouble. My house is high so I didn't think I was in danger but I was worried about the road.

I looked down from the house around 8:00 am (time gets a little fuzzy here because I was starting to get nervous) and there was a stream at the bottom of my driveway that I only get when the WV stream is running high. That stream was up and over my driveway. That's when I noticed that the WV stream was starting to come over WV road and it was continuing to rise hard and fast. Harry, my boyfriend, tried to leave my house but WV road was blocked at the Holz farm. At that point I saw that my three neighbor's houses across the street were all surrounded by water. Two of the neighbors were not there. But the third left their house and came to mine. We lost internet first and then power and phone. So there was nothing left to do but to wait it out.

About 2:00 pm the rain stopped and that part of the creek receded. We walked down to the Holz farm. WV creek was still running down the middle of the road but George said that past his house the road was damaged but you could get into town. We all hiked up and in back of his property and went down together. The water had come over WV road in a few places. It had cut into the side and damaged the asphalt in several spots. The Roxmor, Grandview and Fawn Hill rebuilds all held but there were other problems. There was a chunk carved out of the road just below Fawn Hill bridge right before the curve at Ed Twerdak's. And the curve by Romer Mt Park that always blows out when it floods, was gone again.

As I rode down to town I noticed that several other houses looked like they had been surrounded by water but none looked like the water had gotten inside the structures themselves. (But that is really hard to tell unless you check inside.)

When we got further down towards town we saw that water had come up and over the Woodland Valley Bridge. Kenny Karge was still cutting trees off the deck of the bridge.

Phoenicia was a MESS! We had to park up by Al's and walk into town. Water was still running down Main St from the Stony Clove and the Esopus was over High St, Jay Street, Ricadella's parking lot and the whole back of town. There was flood mud everywhere. Most of the stores and restaurants in town had serious mud inside. The liquor store and Ricadella's were especially hard hit. The asphalt was ripped up and chunks of it were everywhere. The Bridge St bridge was still underwater and I wasn't sure if the middle of the structure was there or not. It looked like a giant toothpick holder with many trees sticking out from the top. The brown house that is between the The Town Tinker Tube rental and the bridge was still flooded. They had gotten 3 feet of water into the house. Black Bear campground had been flooded and scoured as was the Town Tinker parking lot.

I spent the rest of the day trying to make sure everyone was alright and getting information. That is when I found out that a lot of the major damage on WV road was in the top of the valley. As I told you in my last post, back in the Woodland Park Association, the bridge that goes past Ernie Person's house to the field side of the Park Association is gone. And I don't mean damaged, I mean gone. Ernie has built a makeshift walking bridge so everyone on that side can get to their houses. They all had the foresight to leave their cars on Woodland Valley Road.

Also in the Woodland Park Association, the small bridge (a culvert really) that leads to the back part of the club on 7 mile road is gone.

If your house was away from the creek you are probably fine. If you are next to the creek you might have some erosion. You should check your house or have someone check it for you as soon as you can.

Fawn Hill and Pantherkill roads have damages as well. BE VERY CAREFUL DRIVING IN THE VALLEY AND UP YOUR DRIVEWAY THE FIRST TIME YOU COME BACK! Try and do it in daylight if possible. Many driveways are seriously rutted. The highway department has done a great job of temporarily repairing the roads but most of these fixes are only short term so people can travel safely. So beware!!

The bridge on Rt 28 in Mt Tremper is open but it is only one lane. So plan ahead if you have to cross it.

Wires and poles are hanging precariously in several spots in the valley. Right now power, phone and internet are still out. And the power company was saying 10 days before that returns. Remember to bring drinking water if you plan on coming and staying. There are some folks in Woodland Vally who have phone service if they have a old conventional phone. So bring a phone that doesn't require electricity and try it. You may have service. Bring bottled water, candles, a flashlight and a radio that runs on batteries if you are coming to visit. If you have friends up here and plan to visit you might want to bring them some bottled water too.

As for the rest of the town it is also very messy in places. I didn't check these things for myself but here is some information I have been hearing in town. Mt Tremper where Rt 212 and Rt 28 meet, Margaretville, Arkville, Fleichmans and Wyndham all have serious damages. Fox Hollow was very, very hard hit and the road was knocked out. There are a big chunks out of Oliverea Road, Rt 42 and several spots on Rt 28 west of Phoenicia. Pine Hill was miraculously spared. Town Hall is OK but without power and phone. In the end, what I do know is that most of Shandaken was very hard hit. Some people lost their homes. I am sure there is a lot more damages that I just haven't heard about yet. Hurricane Irene was devastating.

My heart goes out to anyone who has suffered loss or damages during this storm.

So that's all for now. I apologize for the disjointedness of this post. I am tired and the last few days have been overwhelming so it is hard to get my thoughts straight.

- Carol Seitz

PS - I will post more photos and videos in the next day or so. The first 2 photos below are of the WV stream over the road in front of the Holz farm. The next 3 are of the WV bridge. The next 2 are of the end of town by Jay Street where it meets the Esopus. The next 3 are in Phoenicia. The last is of the Bridge Street bridge. These where all taken Sunday afternoon. Since then the town has begun the long clean-up process.

PPS - A lot of people in the community are emailing me. Please be patient. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Stranded in Paradise

This is the first chance I have had to blog. I'm by the side of the road in Boiceville on my phone. Phoenicia is a mess. The storm was very hard on us. Woodland Valley was crazy but it is better now. The road was damaged in many places but the houses are okay. Some may have gotten water. The creek was up over the road. It was the worst storm that anyone has ever seen. There's no power or phone in most of the valley (although a few folks do have phone). They say we may not have it for 10 days. The NYS Thruway has been closed all day from exit 15 to 17. Rt 28 was closed west of Woodstock. The bridge on 28 at Mount Tremper was closed until just now. No one has been able to get down to the city. To my knowledge no one was injured in Woodland Valley. The Bridge Street bridge into town is a mess and closed. I don't usually do personal messages on the blog but since this is an emergency situation I will. Tammy & Richard your house is fine. Tommy Healy your mother is fine. Anyone who lives in the woodland park association the bridge by Ernie's house is gone. The bridge at 7 mile road is also gone. Be careful if you're driving up and into that area. There are several people stranded by the bridge in the woodland park association but they are all fine. If you do make it up this way drive carefully on Woodland Valley road it was washed out in several places and the repairs are only temporary. I must go now. More later. Photos and video to come.

High Water Email Alert System

WCA member Rich Muellerleile sent me some great information this morning on an automatic email alert system for flood stages measured by the USGS gauges. Read on:

"I happened upon a cool (& free) feature of the USGS site which automatically sends text or e-mail messages to any individual desiring real-time advisement of water levels of the Woodland Valley creek or any other stream in the US that has a USGS serviced water level gauge. The program is called Wateralert and has user definable thresholds that send messages only when stream flow exceeds user outlined limits. I use this as an indicator for when my basement floods (and when the fly fishing is particularly good) and it works immaculately. Instructions are self explanatory and for those that want a Woodland Valley specific link can use this link - Woodland Valley Creek Email Alert Subscription Form. Otherwise the website is http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert . Updates above flood stage are usually sent hourly. This could be a great tool for those in the association that have flooding issues, particularly those whom are second homeowners that want someone to check on their basements, etc. in high water scenarios. Feel free to post the links on the website as I feel that it would help many determine when it is time to check up on things."

Richard W. Muellerleile

Thanks for passing this important information on to the community Rich!!!

Ashokan Watershed Conference - 4/9/11

I recently received this email from the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program. The focus of this years conference is flooding. Those of you with homes on the creek might be interested in attending. Here is the information they sent:

Flood Resilience for Towns, Businesses and Landowners Second Annual Ashokan Watershed Conference
Saturday, April 9th, 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Emerson Resort, Mt. Tremper, NY
Cost: $15.00

With two significant floods occurring within two months of each other in 2010, flooding has been a pressing issue for communities in the Ashokan Watershed. This year, the Ashokan Watershed Conference will focus on the theme of how communities can be more resilient when floods occur. We can't stop floods. However, communities can take charge of planning wisely, minimizing damage, and being prepared so recovery happens faster and costs less.

What you will get out of this conference:

Municipal Officials:
See what other towns have done to address difficult flooding issues How to reduce your community's flood insurance rates. How to reduce flooding impacts with good floodplain and stream management. What changes are coming to Your Flood Insurance Maps.

Landowners & Businesses:
How to minimize flood damage to homes, structures, and property. How to address backyard erosion problems. All about Flood Insurance.

Everyone:
What meteorologists know about increasing rainfall trends. Learn how streams will respond to increased rainfall. Examples of what other communities have done to deal with flooding.

Click here to Download a Registration Brochure with Agenda

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Conference Agenda

8:15 am - 9:00 am
Registration & Networking Coffee and bagels available

9:20 am - 11:40 am Morning Sessions

Introduction - Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program

Extreme Precipitation — Increasing Frequency of Large Storms
Dan Zarrow, Northeast Regional Climate Center, Cornell University

Planning for Stream Response to Increased Rainfall
Jim MacBroom, Milone & MacBroom, Inc.

Forming a Flood Commission: Communities Finding Solutions
Rick Weidenbach, Graydon Dutcher; Delaware County SWCD

11:45 - 12:30 Lunch (included)

12:30 - 2:30 Afternoon Breakout Sessions:

Landowners & Businesses - Track 1
12:30 - 1:20
Got Flood Insurance?
All About Flood
Insurance for Homeowners
A.E. Knapp & Associates

Break 1:20 - 1:30 Break

Landowners & Businesses - Track 1
1:30 - 2:20 Flood Protection Measures for Homeowners
A.E. Knapp & Associates
______________

Landowners & Businesses - Track 2
12:30 - 1:20
Public Agency Panel:
Agency Roles After Floods
DEP, DEC, NRCD, SWCD, SEMO

Break 1:20 - 1:30

Landowners & Businesses - Track 2
1:30 - 2:20
Stream Bank Erosion 101 for Homeowners
Cory Ritz & Deron Davis SWCD/NRCS
_______________

Municipal - Track 1
12:30 - 2:20
National Flood Insurance Program:
Introductory Course on Floodplain Management
(2 hour session)

Bill Nechamen
Floodplain Management Section Chief, NYSDEC
**Training Credits Available for Code Enforcement Officers/Floodplain Managers**
_______________

Municipal - Track 2
12:30 - 2:20
FEMA Community Rating System: How to Reduce Flood Damage and Insurance Premiums
(2 hour session)

Mike Jastremski, Lillian Bruno Delaware & Schoharie County Planning Depts

Getting Back to Normal

Everything around here is getting back to normal. Phoenicia continues to dry out and clean up. Woodland Valley Road needs some repairs but the worst spot (where WV road meets Grandview) is easily avoidable, so driving is fine up this way. I haven't heard of anything more serious in the valley besides folks getting water in their basements and/or garage and some leaky roofs.

I will keep you informed on the continuing road repair plans. It looks like the contractors are set up to put in the vegetative layer at the curve by Fawn Hill bridge. When that is finished the highway department will reinstall the guide rail. I don't know what the plans are for repairing the other spots on the road but, as usual, I will keep you posted.