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| May 14, 2025 |
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General News: 2011 Top Story: Tropical Storm Irene
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| A police car turns onto Union Street from Main. Photo by Linda Bates. |
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| Flood waters race down Main Street in Cornwall shortly before noon on Sunday. |
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| The surging waters of Canterbury Creek flooded down Continental Road near the end of Boulevard. Photo by Katie Maguire. |
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| A view from the bridge over the Moodna on Route 32. Photo by Linda Bates. |
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| Debris covered Route 9W near Mountain Rd. Photo by Carole Hunt. |
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| Pleasant Hill Road near the bridge. Photo by Stacey Pskowski. |
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| Donahue Memorial Park under water. Photo by Barbara Gosda. |
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| Black Rock Clubhouse. Photo by Peter Wood. |
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| The Moodna washed out the hillside next to this home on Forge Hill Road, leaving this car dangling off the edge. Photo provided. |
December 28, 2011
In late August, the region braced for the rare onslaught of a hurricane, which hit Saturday night, August 27, with tropical storm force winds.
By daybreak, heavy rains still pummeled the area, along with winds that brought down tree limbs all over town. Moodna Creek thundered under the steel bridge on Route 32, then spilled over its banks, closing the bridge.
Main Street Was Under Water
By 10 am, Canterbury Brook swelled over its banks and flooded the roadways and the Storm King Golf Course, then raced down Main Street in Cornwall where the water was knee-deep and moving swiftly. Further up Storm King Mountain, the water poured off the mountainside and onto Route 9W and Mountain Road, where one family was rescued from their home by the fire department.
Mountainville Hit With Flood Water
Out in Mountainville, Woodbury Creek cut people off from their houses, with bridges out on Pleasant Hill and Taylor Roads. The Black Rock Fish and Game Club was partially submerged by the once gentle fishing creek out back that turned into a raging current. Downed trees were everywhere.
No one in the area had power and communication was sketchy at best. Cellphones, equipped with cameras, became the most effective way to get the word out about damage and roads that were blocked by flooding or debris. People sent in dozens of photos showing the damage and were posted on this website.
A New Bridge Destroyed
On Old Forge Hill Road that connects Cornwall to Vails Gate, the Moodna’s waters washed away cement pillars underneath a bridge less than ten years old, the side of the hillside crumbling under the force.
A week after the storm hit, residents in the village of Washingtonville were still struggling, with hundreds in shelters and many unable to return to their water-damaged homes. A dozen homes were condemned and the village hall was later torn down.
Region Still Repairing Storm Damage
Five months later, area recovery is on-going, with repair work underway on the bridge on Route 32 the most notable. Old Forge Hill Road is closed to through traffic and all the surrounding routes are more congested than before. But much of the damage has been repaired, with bridges in Mountainville now back in service and roads patched and repaired.
At right, are some of the more dramatic photos showing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene. Click on any photo for a larger view.
See More Photos of the Impact of Tropical Storm Irene
To see more photos showing the flood waters throughout the town and village, click here.
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