IRENE

[Jason Susnjara]

This might be late but I hope that everyone is safe on the east coast from all of the flooding caused by Irene.

[Josh Rayburn]

Hi Jason,
We did not see the worst of Irene, and we are all fine. We are just near the border of Connecticut and New York, right on the coast. Personally I think I was well prepared, though I could not get a generator for a variety of reasons. Fortunately Irene did not turn out to be quite as bad as the media projected for us.

After talking to many clients and friends in the area, the damage in our parts was not terrible though there were some people without power for a while (we were out for a short time) - and a number of trees down and wet basements. Overall I did not hear of anybody seriously injured or any major property damage, so it really could have been a lot worse!

The exception to the property damage is in the town where I live, which has a stream that runs through the center of town. It is usually a beautiful babbling brook - but it causes minor flooding every time we get excessive rainfall.

Irene did not cause the worst flooding that we have seen, but nonetheless all who live close to the stream had most of the first floor of their houses completely filled with water and it is depressing to drive down any of those streets and see the disaster recovery and utility company vehicles lining the street competing for space with all the trash and construction debris that is overflowing the sidewalks. The local Red Cross set up a shelter at the high school, and we had over 220 people there; some of which are still there - but again no major injuries or deaths that I am aware of.

I simply cannot imagine what North Carolina etc. went through - not to mention the other areas which have sustained major damage from storms in the past (Katrina, among others)....

Thanks and I hope all the other members and their families fared as well or better.
jnr