Greetings from Floodville

Although New York City escaped with a few puddles lapping around Anderson Cooper's designer galoshes, we haven't been so lucky in points north and west.  I am one of the fortunate third of about 150,000 Ulster County residents who still has electricity, but my town is totally cut off by rock slides and floods.  Several people have had to be rescued from the rising waters, and there have been reports of drivers trapped in cars. In New Paltz, an indefinite ban on all vehicular and pedestrian traffic has been imposed. So while Irene is departing, she is leaving quite a mess behind.  No reports of injuries, but as you can see from this photo album, plenty of damage. (I live on Route 32, which looks like it is collapsing down the road from me!). The people without power look to be without it for days to come, since repair crews can't make it through blocked and washed-out roads.