Update on West Hartford
Well, the weather is sunny, but the situation isn’t any better. As you can see, they’re dumping stone to fill in the hole where the yard and foundation were. I was just there in the beginning yesterday, but as of today, there is enough support for them to get their goods from the second floor and the artwork and other things that were either undamaged in the first floor flood or recoverable with some heavy duty washing.
As you can also see in the photos below, the part of the foundation that originally appeared solid is actually subsiding. As of yesterday morning, it looked like it was around six inches. Hopefully I’ll get back there tomorrow to get some more photos and help them however possible. They’re keeping smiles on their faces in light of this devastating development and I’m continually amazed by their strength and outlook.
Please check here tomorrow for the link to a site where you can donate money to help them through this crises. And if you’ve tried to contact them and they haven’t been able to respond, just know that they really appreciate all the support and are just unable now to respond to all the calls, texts and emails.
Devastation in West Hartford, VT – It Gets Personal
We here in Vermont got hit hard by Irene’s fury. The already saturated ground and ~6-10 inches of rain that fell in less than a half a day turned the tranquil winding streams of Vermont into killer torrents. When a bridge fills with debris and turns the path of the river, the immediate impacts can be devastating.
The White River is the longest undammed river in Vermont. My friends live right next to the river, next to a bridge. Last night I spoke with them and they thought their house was in jeopardy when the were forced out by rapidly rising water. They slept in their cars higher up on the hill.
What we found this morning was devastating. I was able to get to them in 4wd this morning before they closed the road. They are safe and that’s the most important thing.
I think the pictures speak for themselves. My thoughts go out to you.
More photos after the break…
