Irene Recovery in Vermont, day 3

DONATE TIME: Volunteer Coordination Page

DONATE MONEY: Mad River Community Fund

It's dirty around here. The drying river mud has blanketed the green playing fields and farmlands of the lower part of the valley. With a little bit of wind, the fine silt starts blowing around and gets in your eyes and teeth.

The short-term reality is still quite stark. The Dumpsters are full at Bridge Street, which has slowed work progress down considerably. It's unclear whether the issue has to do with who's paying for the things, whether there are not enough trucks to haul the containers away, or whether they can't find a place to put the stuff.

But, oh, the piles are still there .... neatly segmented piles of shattered drywall, soggy insulation, windows and glass, nail-filled lumber, and mud and other unidentifiable substances.

Crews are still at it though, as the race against mildew has begun. Ripping up floorboards and pulling down walls is just part of the game. Giant dehumidifiers is the other part, if you're lucky enough to have gotten your hands on one before they got scooped up.

Locally, the organization is hitting its stride. The desk outside the library has blossomed into a Facebook Events page that points people where to go on a daily basis (ie, today it's Simple Steps Farm and the Church of the Crucified One.)

A bit further away, though, the towns of Granville and Rochester are apparently in dire straits. Both towns are cut off from vehicle traffic, and still have no power or water. Apparently, someone hiked out of Rochester yesterday until they found a cell phone signal and called for help. Somehow they got patched through to the guys at the Fish & Wildlife Dept, who sent a team on ATVs down immediately to assess the situation.

Volunteers this morning were gathering groceries to bring down to the Rochester/Granville area, and a clothing drive has also been started to gather up wearables (all sizes) for those who've lost everything.