Irene aftermath

This morning my Facebook feed was full of damage reports, relief, and frustration about the Irene effect on New Paltz.  They included:

• Confusion over the New Paltz curfew by citizens, and anecdotal suggestions of confusion by law enforcement as well
• Reports about where dry ice is available to people without power
• Videos of flooding
• Strong defensive reactions by emergency personnel, suggesting to me that people have been giving some of them crap over the above-referenced curfew
• Pictures of downed trees
• Lamentations about not having power

A lot went on yesterday.  Our officials made tough decisions with variable amounts of information.  Reports about actual conditions were contradictory and probably sometimes accurate.  Information about the curfew was also inconsistent.

I hope to be speaking to Michael Zierler, who assumed the role of public information officer of the town and village during Irene, about the response and how well information was disseminated, and to get a more accurate picture of what actually did happen.

From what I know and believe at this point, emergency services did an excellent job, but communication was, as always, a challenge.

Please feel free to comment on your Irene experience - I'm curious how New Paltzians have weathered this storm.