More Irene Aftermath

Porter Bay, Vermont
44 13.79 N 073 18.92 W


As far as we know, all our friends and relatives and their friends are OK.  Thank goodness.  However, we listen to local radio in Vermont and the situation for many people is still grim.  Despite all that's happened so far (You probably saw it on TV.  We, of course, have seen no TV.) the rivers are still rising and wont crest for another day or two.


Yesterday we just sat here in Porter Bay, admiring the beautiful nature and the splendid post-storm weather.   A Vermont State Trooper came by in a patrol boat.  He asked if we rode out the storm here.  We said yes.  I asked him what it was like on Otter Creek up in Vergennes.


If you recall, Vergennes is one of our favorite spots.   It offers public docks at the base of a wonderfully scenic waterfall.  It is surrounded by very high hills that provide extremely good shelter from any winds.   It would be the perfect place to hide from a hurricane except for one thing -- floods.  That is why we rejected Vergennes as a hurricane hole.


Anyhow, the trooper said yes, there are a lot of boats tied up at the docks at Vergennes.  I was surprised.  I expected everyone to make the same decision as we did.  He said that the water was so high that everything was under water except the floating docks where the boats were tied.  One could wonder if the floating docks might break loose.   He also said that the extremely swift currents had pinned the boats against the docks.  They were unable to leave.  


Those boats might be stuck there for the rest of the week until the flood subsides.  The people on those boats may be unable to go ashore all that time and they must deal with debris floating past such as logs, cars, houses, and bridges (just kidding).


Now I'm doubly glad that we rejected Vergennes as a hurricane hole.  Our sympathies go out to those who did.