Photos: Hurricane Irene Damage in Long Island

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We were lucky. In our Long Island town that borders on Nassau and Suffolk counties, we didn’t lose power and our house was intact. Except for loud wind, rain, fallen branches and leaves, no one would have realized a hurricane had passed through. This afternoon after the rain had stopped, my husband hopped on his bike with a camera to assess the neighborhood.

The pictures he brought back surprised me. Apparently we were in a little pocket of houses that did not lose power. In the streets surrounding us trees had fallen into houses and power lines, and the police had blocked off their streets. Looking at the LIPA website (Long Island Power Authority), we discovered that 75% of our town’s residents were without power.

Here are pictures from my husband’s bike ride around the neighborhood - did not see a lot of flooding, mainly downed trees.

 

In the late afternoon we drove to my mother-in-law's house about 20 minutes east. Along the way, using my cell phone I snapped a few pictures of Irene's impact.

Several times we had to stop and turn around due to a fallen tree blocking the road.

Many traffic lights were out. At this intersection the police were directing traffic.
At most others with broken traffic lights, one had to pay heed just in case cars
didn't stop at the unmanned intersections.

This house barely escaped getting hit by a large tree.

My thoughts are with the families down South who lost loved ones, and the people on the East Coast who have lost power, water, and property. How were you impacted by Hurricane Irene?