Looking back at Irene, 10 years later
By Tim Rowland
Keene and Jay residents reflect on the lasting impacts from Tropical Storm Irene, which swept through the North Country 10 years ago.
irene
Latest Story
FEMA’s role in rebuilding: Compensation after Irene’s havoc in the Adirondacks
Tropical Storm Irene left a lasting impact on Adirondack Park, displacing residents and leading to extensive federal assistance for recovery efforts.
All Stories
Cuomo pledges $640,000 for Keene fire house
By Phil Brown
Governor Andrew Cuomo came to the rescue of Keene today, pledging $640,000 in state funds to rebuild a fire house destroyed by the floods of Tropical Storm Irene a year ago. Cuomo said the state had to step in after the Federal Emergency Management Agency reduced the amount of money it offered for replacing the…
No decision on Marcy Dam
By Phil Brown
Now that the state has decided not to rebuild the dam at Duck Hole, people are wondering about the future of Marcy Dam. The short answer is that there is no answer—not yet. “No decisions have been made. We’re still evaluating that,” David Winchell, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said this…
DEC won’t rebuild Duck Hole dam
By Phil Brown
The state Department of Environmental Conservation does not plan to rebuild the dam at Duck Hole, an iconic pond deep in the High Peaks Wilderness. The wooden dam was breached in the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in late August, draining about two-thirds of the impoundment. Even before Irene, fans of Duck Hole had…
DEC reopens two more trails
By Phil Brown
The state has reopened two more trails in the High Peaks region, but it has no plans to reopen before next year other trails closed by Irene. Hikers can once again take the Deer Brook Trail from Route 73 to Snow Mountain, though the low-water route through the Deer Brook flume remains impassable (it was…
DEC reopens 5 trails closed since Irene
By Phil Brown
Five trails that had been closed since August 29, the day after Tropical Storm Irene, have been reopened, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced this morning. Four of the trails start in the vicinity of the Ausable Lakes in the privately owned Adirondack Mountain Reserve: The Carry Trail between Lower and Upper Ausable Lake…
Climbing the new Saddleback slide
By Phil Brown
The new issue of the Explorer (November/December) will include a two-page spread on climbing five new slides created by Tropical Storm Irene in the High Peaks. I’ve blogged about my climbs of four of them (see links below), but I have yet to write about my climb of the long slide on Saddleback Mountain. I climbed…
Climbing the ‘new’ Trap Dike
By Phil Brown
On Sunday I climbed the Trap Dike for the first time since Tropical Storm Irene triggered a landslide above and inside the dike. The slide swept away nearly all of the trees inside the canyon and created a new exit, a slab of clean white rock that can be followed to the top of Mount…
Keene seeks volunteers for Irene cleanup
By Phil Brown
The town of Keene is looking for volunteers to help with the post-Irene cleanup. The town plans to undertake a number of cleanup projects every weekend through November 5. This Saturday, people will be removing mud from the basement of a house on Styles Brook Road, according to Joe Pete Wilson Jr., the town’s volunteer…