Lake Placid, NY, Aug 30, 2011 — Clean-up efforts area already underway in parts of the North Country slammed by tropical storm Irene. Congressman Bill Owens will be to looking at damage in the town of Jay this morning along with town supervisor Randy Douglas

But in many areas, wreckage and debris are strewn through whole communities.

In the Washington County village of Greenwich, meanwhile, neighborhoods have been evacuated because cracks were found yesterday in a dam on the Batten Kill River.

Village Mayor David Doonan told the Glens Falls Post Star that it isn't clear whether the cracks were present before the storm. An inspection of the dam by state officials is planned for today.

As Brian Mann reports, communities across the North Country are still taking stock, trying to sort out just how far-reaching the damage from Irene will be.  Go to full article

Upper Jay, NY, Aug 30, 2011 — Rep. Bill Owens is expected in Upper Jay and Ausable Forks this morning to survey the impact of flash flooding with Town Supervisor Randy Douglas.

The two communities are on the banks of the East Branch of the Ausable are used to spring flooding and high waters in heavy rains. But Brian Mann describes a scene in Upper Jay that shocked even old-timers. He spoke with Martha Foley this morning.  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Aug 29, 2011 — New Yorkers are watching rising creeks and rivers this morning. The Associated Press reports more than 900,000 homes were without power, more National Guard soldiers were deployed to clean-ups, and major highways and roads remained closed.

At least three deaths were blamed on the tropical storm. One thousand National Guard troops deployed over the weekend are to be augmented Monday with more engineers to help clear streets and debris and restore power.

Irene was no longer a hurricane by the time it hit the North Country counties, but it still packed a powerful punch. As of 10:30 last night, dozens of roads in Essex County were closed, the county's emergency radio system was off the air, many people remained stranded by high water and the county was in a state of emergency.

More than 100 roads in the county are closed because of flooding, washouts and high water threatening bridges. While the damage was widespread, County Emergency Services Director Don Jaquish said Keene and Keene Valley were hit the hardest. The Keene fire station was swept away by the floodwaters. "It's been washed away," Jacquish said last night.

People in Keene and Keene Valley had evacuated and Jacquish's crews were preparing evacuations in Upper Jay. He anticipated severe flooding in the hamlet of AuSable Forks, calling the crest of the East branch of the Ausable "unprecedented."

Brian Mann was in Keene early this morning. Talking with Martha Foley, he described a community devastated by the flash flooding.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Aug 26, 2011 — Visit our Hurricane Irene page (link below) for live updates from Twitter and visitors to NCPR

The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch and a flood watch for Long Island, New York City and Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected decide by late today whether people will need to evacuate.

Cuomo cancelled a fundraiser scheduled for last night and a planned vacation in the Adirondacks to return to the Capitol to prepare for the storm. The governor say he hopes the advance preparation will enable the stat to face the storm "in a calm and organized manner." Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Jun 06, 2011 — Federal Emergency Management come in when major natural disasters hit, but few people know they provide aid for much less dramatic emergencies through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program.

Earlier this year, however, FEMA told expectant organizations that they don't know when -- or if -- they can expect the money.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, Jun 02, 2011 — Scientists say the record-breaking landslide on Little Porter Mountain in Keene Valley is still on the move, driven by last weekend's heavy rains.

The disaster hasn't caused any injuries, but a half-dozen homes are threatened.

Martha Foley has an update.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, May 25, 2011 — Lake Champlain rose again this week, thanks to 20 to30 mile-an-hour winds Monday that pushed water back onto some roads and waterfront.

The damages are still mounting. After weeks of high water, the lake remains at flood stage, threatening roads, homes, wells and septic systems.

Clinton County Emergency Services Director Eric Day yesterday called this the "slowest natural disaster ever experienced" in the county.

Day predicts it'll take many weeks of effort to bring hard-hit areas back to normal, and said some of the shoreline may always look more like an ocean coastline than serene lakeshore.

Nora Flaherty talked with Day late yesterday.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, May 23, 2011 — Waters are still high as communities across the North Country and northern Vermont stare down the devastation of this spring's record floods.

Damages are in the millions, with reports still being tallied. Rivers are generally very high, but below flood stage. Lake Champlain was still well over 102 feet at the ferry dock in Burlington this morning, with the Weather Service predicting the water will go down very slowly.

New York Congressman Bill Owens toured parts of Essex County again Friday. According to the Plattsburgh Press Republican he's "very confident" President Barack Obama will declare a statewide disaster for New York and that aid will be available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Owens said, communities will see fast response with (aid for) municipal damages, bridges, roads. But he said aid for individuals may be slower."

The congressman also said he's been told this was a 500 year flood...

US Geological Survey hydrologist Tom Suro doesn't put that kind of number on the combination of rain and spring meltwater. But he says it's the worst in the USGS records, and something he never expected to see in his lifetime. He spoke with Martha Foley Friday.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, May 18, 2011 — Weeks of relentless rain have destabilized a massive section of hillside in the Adrian's Acres neighborhood in Keene Valley, which sits on the slopes of Porter Mountain.

Town and state officials say an area roughly a half-mile wide has begun to shift, slumping downward several inches each day.

One vacation home has already been condemned, and one other house evacuated. At least four more homes are threatened.

Brian Mann was on Porter Mountain yesterday and has our story.  Go to full article

May 16, 2011 — Recent flooding pushed water levels on Lake Champlain to record heights, causing millions of dollars in damage and forcing people from their homes. It's stalled some parts of the construction of a new bridge across Lake Champlain between Crown Point, NY and Addison, VT. But according to New York officials, the overall timeline hasn't changed. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article