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SCARSDALE, N.Y – A year after Tropical Storm Irene blew through the tri-state area, the Village of Scarsdale has recovered and learned from the experience, Deputy Superintendent of Public Works Eric Gerringer said.
“There wasn’t any impact to our public infrastructure," he said. "It wasn’t as bad as other parts of the state. We’re more prepared, and we’re better equipped if a storm of that intensity hits again.”
Several roads had to be closed, and countless homes received flood damage, but the long-term impact was minimal, Gerringer said. Wind caused the bulk of the damage – as trees and branches came down, cutting off electricity to more than one neighborhood.
The village set up an emergency shelter at Quaker Ridge Elementary School, used by as many as 30 people at the time, Gerringer said.
“We fought through the storm just like we would have in the past. We shut down roads that we know will lead to flooding, and we worked with Con Edison to ensure we had electricity back in a timely manner,” he said. “Our minor roads have been fixed, but no major damage occurred.”
Moving forward, the village stocked up on important equipment and is ready if Mother Nature throws another storm its way, Gerringer said.
“We’re more prepared. We have better communication in place, and we’ve prepared a plan with the police and fire departments,” he said. “We have a better system to communicate with each other. We have stockpiles of sandbags, and extra chainsaws if need be. If a storm were to hit – we wouldn’t be scrambling.”
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