‘PULLING TOGETHER’
Community unites for post-storm cleanup
EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. » Last week, the Capital Region was slammed by one of the strongest storms its ever seen. Trees were uprooted and felled, causing road blockage and property damage, power lines were torn down, and many people were left without internet or power for days on end.
The worst of the damage was caused by a singular event during the storm called a “straight wind event.” During such an event, high- speed winds move vertically through the air and hit land with tremendous force. The result looks almost identical to tornado damage.
One of the areas hardest hit by the storm was East Greenbush, especially the upper side of town and the eastern end of the Hampton Manor neighborhood. As soon as the storm was over, though, the town jumped to action to start fixing the damage and helping residents in need.
“We went over how to coordinate if people needed assistance with the cold weather,” explained Town Supervisor Jack Conway. “Town Hall was open as a warming station, and if families needed it, the town put them up in a hotel. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
"Town Hall was open as a warming station, and if families needed it, the town put them up in a hotel. We’ve never seen anything like this." — East Greenbush Town Supervisor Jack Conway
In addition, Clinton Heights Fire Department on Sherwood Avenue had dry ice for anyone that needed to keep their refrigerators and freezers cold as they waited for power to be restored. And as soon as the storm was over, cleanup efforts began.
“The community is really pulling together through this,” Conway commented.
As early as Thursday, the Department of Public Works was out and about town, working hard to clean up the mess. Crews went around with a woodchipper, grappler vehicles, and dump trucks as they cleared branches and debris.
The first priority was getting the roads cleared. Next, the crews assisted residents with yard cleanup, removing piles of debris that were stacked on the curbsides. Anything that residents could move to their curbs, the town cleared away.
Commissioner of Public Works Dan Fiacco said that he would keep his crews working as long as was necessary to facilitate residents getting their properties cleaned up.
“We have a fantastic crew, we’re moving pretty quick,” Fiacco said. “It’s going to be a continuous cleanup effort. Leaf pickup starts soon, and we’ll just keep going - it’s the only way to get stuff done.”
By the end of the weekend, the worst of the damage had been cleared from Hampton Manor. Roads were unblocked and power was restored. Fiacco was glad that Conway would get to see the new equipment that had just been purchased for the town getting put to good use.
Now, as residents continue to clear their yards, the Department of Public Works will be available for curbside pickup of more debris. Residents can also transport the debris themselves to the town’s Transfer Facility on Ridge Road. A permit is not required to dump yard waste.
Fiacco says that with his crews working every day as long as there’s daylight, he hopes to get back to road restoration and pothole filling as soon as possible.
“That sort of thing, you really want to get done before winter,” he commented.
It wasn’t just the town’s official departments coming together to help. East Greenbush residents themselves helped out neighbors, checking on one another and offering assistance where they could.
“Cleanup effort has been very good,” commented Hampton Manor resident Len Welcome. “There’s been a lot of damage, but immediately town trucks came through. And this is a good community - the teen kids came out with chainsaws and clippers, and they were clearing out debris and checking on the elderly neighbors.”
Welcome says he got lucky and didn’t suffer any major damage to his property in the storm. Others were not so fortunate.
“It just went around me,” Welcome said. “I got
a little gutter damage, and my gazebo got ripped up like Freddy Kruger went through it, but the guys on either side of me really got walloped. One guy had his siding torn off. It was interesting to see the trampoline come by from two blocks over.”
Welcome knows that the speed and community- oriented focus displayed over the weekend is typical for East Greenbush. It’s one of the reasons why he’s so happy living there.
“Everyone just came together,” he said. “This is such a great neighborhood.”