I was able to see the damage for myself this morning. It isn’t pretty.
We did indeed lose a good part of the fire house.
And here are a few photos of damage to homes
That last photo is to the entrance to Wake Up Call Cafe, a popular coffee shop in town run by our friends Andrea and Josh. I didn’t see them this morning, but I can’t help but feel horrible for them.
Here is a photo of the parking area in front of the ADK Cafe. I did get to see the owner, our friend Fiona, and her spirits seem high. Luckily, most of the damage was to the outside of her establishment. Clean up has already begun for her and the fellows at Dartbrook Lodge/Rustic Goods.
Unfortunately, right across the river faired a bit worse. Cedar Run Bakery and Cafe took a lot of water inside their building… as you can see from yesterday’s photo.
And here you can see the condition of the road that runs along side of it.
I do have some good news to relay. While checking out the damage this morning I briefly talked to Brian Mann of North Country Public Radio. He mentioned that he drove through other parts of Essex County and that Keene was the worst of it. Hopefully this means the rest of the Adirondacks made it through this ok.
Now I am off to Lake Placid, with saw in hand, to try to spring the family from the vacation rental. I’m told the tree that is blocking the driveway is about a foot around. Given my skills with a saw, I should be able to get through that in… oh, 8 hours or so… give or take.
Hi – this is CJ (Chris) from Montreal.
I’m glad that you two are all-right.
If you think there is anything that an additional body could help out with down there – please let me know.
Cheers.
Thanks, CJ. We’ll let you know if there is anything you can do to help. I think the best thing you can do is come back down once everything is cleaned up and support the affected businesses. It’s too bad this hit right before one of the biggest weekends of the year.
We are headed to Lake Placid 9/9/11 and are concerned whether we will be able to get there through Keene. Our thoughts are will all of you as you attempt to recover; we always look forward to a stop in your beautiful valley.
Hi Lorrie,
It is hard to say what will and won’t be open by then, but I suspect Rt. 73 from the Northway to Keene Valley will still be closed. I’ve seen photos of the washed out sections of that highway and it is pretty bad.
That is probably the most popular way into the area, but there should be other routes that will be clear. As cleanup and recovery begin to take shape we’ll be sure to post updates here, or on our facebook page.
Hi everyone,
We vacation in LP once or twice a year and feel a bond with the people of the Adirondacks. Even as I write this, I am terribly sad. I wish I was closer to you area so that I could help with whatever I could.
I hope to make it there by December; I will be sure to stop and buy something in Keen to show support.
My family and I had quite an eventful Saturday during the hurricane- rather incredible things happened to us, but we are all fine and this is not about us.
Love to all,
Linda, Bradley Beach, NJ
[…] Valley. Clean up and recovery are underway. You can compare some of these images to those I took on the first day to see the […]