Look, once FEMA comes in, they run the show. Upchuck, tinko, dago and whoever else comes around promising the world is full of sh!t. Why? Cause it just don't work that way. This is the way this backwards system works folks............FEMA (federal) comes in and takes applications, which the victims have to show them their denial from their homeowners insurance first......THEN......they get denied, as promised.......................THEN............they apply with SEMA (state). IF and it is a big IF, SEMA approves a claim (which is no more then $30K) SEMA must wait for FEMA(federal) to give them (state) the money to pay the victims.

Now, the fact is, it is out of the states hands. The Federal level is the one to dole out the money. That is what FEMA was set up to do. FEMA is already $20M in debt and still has not paid all the claims resulting from Katrina.....FIVE YEARS AGO!!! And lets not forget that nys is broke.....or so they tell us.

There is not enough money at the local or state level to handle these catastrophes. FEMA stripped them of that over 30 years ago and the states let them.

Sorry folks....but this will rest solely on the communities themselves. Every business and every contractor and every family member and friends and neighbors and church needs to roll their sleeves up and help these folks out......just like fdg and others are doing.............k?

I hope the energy and volunteer orgs don't slow down.....the place is doomed.....the government is going to allow the place to just die ? you know the people there can't afford to fix those places up correctly I mentioned the sickness that could occur to the other parts of town if not handled correctly...you leaving that up to them? Please....

Lowes, home depot and bellevue builders should be handing out gift cards.....OR.......the town, churches, etc could perhaps give these folks vouchers for city mission or salvation army.

Sadly some folks in schoharie have gutted their homes and moving back in. they are spraying their homes down with clorox to kill the mold and will be happy if they can get insulation up before winter.

Quoted Text

Irene: Mud, ruined remains seen as water drops in Rotterdam Junction
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
By Justin Mason (Contact)
Gazette Reporter


ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — Lisa Pearo spent an entire week anxious about the fate of her home on Isabella Lane

She could stand at the edge of her neighbor’s yard and see the murky brown flood water surrounding the small brick residence. She knew many of her belongings inside her rented home were likely damaged, but never suspected the extent of the damage once she finally got into the place Monday.

Waterlogged ceilings and drywall collapsed, spewing mud-covered insulation throughout the first floor. Her possessions were lifted and strewn about by the high water. Just about anything touched by the water was beyond salvage. Pearo’s possessions were piled among the shattered remnants of the home’s interior, both waiting to be picked up by the teams of city garbage trucks moving the refuse to Schenectady’s transfer station.

“The hardest thing is all the baby pictures, the stuff I can’t ever replace,” she said Tuesday, standing by her ruined possessions. “Everything is loaded with mud. Everything is falling apart.”

To make matters worse, Pearo’s 18-year-old daughter Savannah fell ill from breathing in toxic fumes resulting from the flood. She was brought to the hospital after experiencing severe shortness of breath after working in the home for several hours.

“She was even wearing a mask,” she said. “The mud and everything is so bad.”

The flood waters cascaded into low-lying areas after the swollen Mohawk River spilled over near a CSX railroad bridge. The sudden rush left seven homes on Scrafford Lane and Isabella Street under more than 12 feet of water for a week.

Town Code Enforcer Mickey Maher said about 130 buildings were damaged or currently uninhabitable; so far, he said only two appear to be beyond repair.

Rotterdam police ordered Route 5S closed except for local traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and today, to allow sanitation crews to remove the piles of debris. But the volume of refuse filled the city transfer station on Weaver Street to capacity, prompting the operation to stall Tuesday.

“It’s going to take close to 10 days to take away all that debris,” Supervisor Frank Del Gallo said Tuesday evening. He said the cleanup will also cost the town significantly: Federal assistance will cover about 87.5 percent but the town will need to fund the rest.

“It’s going to be an expensive proposition,” he said.

Water line breaks

County officials also placed a boil-water advisory for all residents in the Rotterdam Junction and Putnam Road area until 6 p.m. Friday, following an 8-inch water main break near Campbell Road. Del Gallo said the saturated ground is placing pressure on the town lines.

Already, some residents of the hamlet are talking about walking away from their ruined homes. At least two homeowners on Lock Street indicated they don’t plan to rebuild and a third is giving it serious consideration..........................................>>>>...............................>>>>................................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2011/sep/07/0907_remains/

Forget about the draw down. The Junction flood wouldn't have happened were it not for two tipped barges in the canal literally diverting the water into the old Erie Canal basin. You'd think someone out there would have moved those crane barges to where they WOULDN'T act as a gigantic dam during a 500-year flood event...like maybe down in Waterford where all the other boats were? But the company didn't want to move them because they knew they'd probably never get them back there. The canal system will be shut down months, and they want to finish the bridge replacement.

Read from today's Gazette: "Under the plan, the fire department expects to have more than an hour of notice of approaching floodwaters, Taylor said. In this case, the scenario did not fit the evacuation plan, as the floodwaters flashed into the hamlet within minutes of cresting the Mohawk River west of the hamlet.
    Taylor said fire department volunteers monitored the river during the early hours of Aug. 29 from the bridge over Route 103. “The water was high and taking Lock 9, but it was not breaching the banks,” he said.
    No flooding took place until 9 a.m., and it wasn’t because of the river, Taylor said. “It came from behind and from Pattersonville, from that side of the river,” he said. “We had no clue. This was a flash flood.”

You want a smoking gun? That's your smoking gun. I can't wait until someone finally brings this up to the suits shaking hands and kissing babies...

Word on the street has it that Rotterdam Junction residents are possibly being told that they need to move to higher ground and out of the Junction again due to additional flooding with today's rain.

Quoted from rampage

Word on the street has it that Rotterdam Junction residents are possibly being told that they need to move to higher ground and out of the Junction again due to additional flooding with today's rain.

         I heard the same evacuation requirements for Greene and Shoharie Counties!

I know this isn't going directly to Rotterdam Junction residents, but I thought I would send it out.  
http://wnyt.com/article/12357/

Quoted Text

NewsChannel 13 will be presenting a special telethon, raising money to help the American Red Cross aid the victims of Irene.

Click the link above to make a donation now. Also, beginning at noon you can call 518-640-2010 to make a credit card donation.

We will have updates at the top of every hour and a special commercial-free from program from 8-9 p.m.

And don't forget -- you can also make a donation by purchasing a Red Cross pinup at any Price Chopper checkout line.

The link to make an on-line donation to the American Red Cross...http://american.redcross.org/wnyt-pub

That is interesting, Hack. I wish one of the local media outlets would have at least one reporter who could look into things beyond the official version.
I think some temporary shelters only without excess formaldehyde like the FEMA trailers would help the residents. They wouldn't have to make split-second decisions about whether to salvage or demolish their homes if they could stay nearby in decent housing while they assessed things.

All I want to say is that I thank God every day we have leaders like Paul Tonko, Judy Dagostino, Harry Buffardi, Tony Jasenski and Sheriff Dagostino whom the first responders respect, love and admire, and who can quickly coordinate relief efforts and fix the mistakes of this administration, and the non-reponse of Assemblymen Amedore and Tedisco and particularly that giant pile of pablum-dribbling flesh we call Senator Farley. The people of the Junction are crying out for leadership and it is being answered by our wonderful Governor ( the next President of the United States) and his Working Together Team here in the county. Unfortunately the people elected by the Nattering Naybobs of Negativity are falling flat on their faces for all the world to see.

It has even been reported to me that Honolulu Hugh is disgracefully on a taxpayer-funded junket to Russia and that he refuses to return to assist even though devastation is rampant. Shame on you, Hugh. RESIGN NOW and let the Governor name a replacement since you refuse to do your job in the hour of need of these poor people! After you resign you can take up residence in one of the former Soviet Socialist Republic's gulags and never come back.

All I want to say is that I thank God every day we have leaders like Paul Tonko, Judy Dagostino, Harry Buffardi, Tony Jasenski and Sheriff Dagostino whom the first responders respect, love and admire, and who can quickly coordinate relief efforts and fix the mistakes of this administration, and the non-reponse of Assemblymen Amedore and Tedisco and particularly that giant pile of pablum-dribbling flesh we call Senator Farley. The people of the Junction are crying out for leadership and it is being answered by our wonderful Governor ( the next President of the United States) and his Working Together Team here in the county. Unfortunately the people elected by the Nattering Naybobs of Negativity are falling flat on their faces for all the world to see.

It has even been reported to me that Honolulu Hugh is disgracefully on a taxpayer-funded junket to Russia and that he refuses to return to assist even though devastation is rampant. Shame on you, Hugh. RESIGN NOW and let the Governor name a replacement since you refuse to do your job in the hour of need of these poor people! After you resign you can take up residence in one of the former Soviet Socialist Republic's gulags and never come back.

Quoted Text

Community rises to the occasion for Irene


    You hear of tragic fl ooding somewhere, but it’s not happening to you and yours and it’s quite easy to go about your life. Then it’s your street, your family, your community; life as you know it has changed dramatically — forever!
    This is when you see humankind at its greatest. You understand what “community” is all about. Through our community’s time of chaos, we have witnessed some of the most selfl ess personal giving of literal blood, sweat and tears. Endless hours have been given by our volunteer fire department personnel, private citizenry, volunteer groups, student groups, friends and those families affected by catastrophic loss, helping one another any way they can.
    There has been giving by area businesses, meals from area restaurants and then there are the volunteers who are preparing and setting up to feed the families and other volunteers who have labored out in the wet and mud all day. The Salvation Army has set up feeding as well. I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone.
How can we ever thank these people enough? All I can do it say thank you and God bless all of you who have worked together, cried together and finally let their achy, mud-rusted bodies fall asleep to awaken at sunrise to start all over again.
This is what community is all about.

KAREN GETTER
Pattersonville

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01305&AppName=1

         Although we are suffering with our Town's flooding issues, this is part of problems within the entire northeast of the country.  The following is a good website for people to check on conditions across New York State:  http://www.nyalert.gov/

         In the right corner there is a box "display" where you can select the county of interest and get current updates as to what is occurring, almost real time.  This may be beneficial for people checking on other family members in other areas of the State.

thanks avon.

Avon,  Thanks for the link.  Just as an update, I see on this that the Western Gateway Bridge and the Freemans Bridge are now both open again.