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Albany, NY – Residents across the Northeast are cleaning up and assessing damage a day after Hurricane Irene passed through the region. But it could be some time before everyone is safely back home. WAMC's Ian Pickus has more
Residents were evacuated downstream of the Gilboa Dam in Schoharie County after a record-high water level triggered sirens on Sunday afternoon.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which owns the dam as part of its upstate water supply, says the water level rose to a foot-and-a-half higher than the previous record before it began to recede Sunday evening.
Schenectady was also under a state of emergency, with the Stockade area evacuated amid flooding fears as the Mohawk River undergoes what officials are calling a 500-year flood. The river is expected to crest by mid-afternoon today, at least six feet higher than the record mark set in 1914.
Power outages were widespread and could take days to get back online.
The Times-Union reports that officials say downtown Windham, a ski town in Greene County, was virtually wiped out, with one building ripped from its foundation. Damage was also reported in Troy.
One woman was killed in New Scotland when she was swept into the Onesquethaw Creek - and officials warn that the worst flooding is yet to come in many areas.