by David Flint
Hurricane Irene was somewhat inconsistent in her treatment of towns in the southern Eastwick area. There was damage and destruction everywhere, but in some parts of the area she was much more savage than in others.
The Town of Grafton was hard hit. Town Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck labeled a “disaster” the havoc wreaked by flood waters on a six mile stretch of Route 2 running through Grafton and Brunswick. Hasbrouck said there was a lot of road damage throughout the Town but, as of Wednesday afternoon, the only roads besides Route 2 still closed were Johnson Road, Steve O’Dell Road and Fox Hollow Road.
Town Supervisor Tyler Sawyer said that the County has an emergency contract in place to fix Route 2 but the estimate is it will take two weeks. In the meantime traffic should be able to get through this weekend with detours. Sawyer said power went out in the Stuffle Street area early on but around 6 pm it spread to much of the Town. That’s when the Fire Department got real busy pumping out basements. Power was back on to the entire Town by Tuesday.
The big fear during the height of the storm was that with all the road closures there was likely no way for ambulance crews to get out of town to a hospital. Route 2 was open from the center of town down to Route 22, but there were reports that Route 22 was blocked in places. By 7 or 8 pm however, it became clear that an ambulance could get to Bennington or North Adams.
Sawyer was not aware of any severe structural damage to residences from wind or falling trees. One house on Route 2 by the Brunswick Town line did have its septic system washed away. Sawyer emphasized that homeowners who did suffer property damage should contact the Town and report it because, while he in no way guarantees it, he believes there is a good possibility there may be FEMA money available for private damage. He certainly hopes there will be some federal funding for public road damage. A rough estimate right now is that it will take a half million dollars just to replace culverts. Fixing other washouts might require another half million. The Town, he said, cannot do all the work that will need to be done and much of it will have to be contracted out.
Sawyer was very much impressed with the Highway Department crews who worked through the storm getting out people who were stranded. He also praised the professionalism of Fire Department and ambulance crew volunteers who came out in the worst conditions laying their lives on the line. Residents, too, understood the magnitude of the situation and were very patient. It was a case, he said, “where the whole Town came together” and responded well.
