Hurricane Irene: One Year Later
The area has seemingly recovered from last year's hurricane. Share your Hurricane Irene tales.
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Looking at the boathouse Monday at Tyler State Park you wouldn't believe that just one year prior, the same area was submerged by rushing flood water from Hurricane Irene.
In the year since the hurricane made landfall along the southeastern New Jersey coast, the park has returned to normal and much of the area damage caused by the storm has disappeared.
Not only did Irene cause flooding, but she caused trees and their limbs to snap across the area.
In the hours following the storm, downed branches and flooded roadways were a common sight. Sounds of chainsaws and emergency vehicle sirens cut through the slight breeze and overcast skies that followed Irene.
Properties along the banks of the Neshaminy Creek, including Spring Garden Mill and state-operated Tyler State Park, were impacted when the water overflowed the banks. The park and playhouse closed due to the storm and were later reopened after much hard work.
Irene also forced the Council Rock School District to delay of the start of school by one day.
Playwicki Park, which sits in both Northampton and Middletown, was heavily damaged by the storm and remained closed for months after.
The hurricane caused the playground equipment and pavilion in the 33-acre county park to be destroyed.
Using grants, crews were able to repair the Playwicki Park and reopen the park, Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department Executive Director Bill Mitchell told Patch shortly after the park reopened in spring.
Mary Mc
10:14 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
we rescued 5 kittens the weekend of hurricane Irene, took them to a shelter and found out they would be put down. We went back and got the kittens and I kept 2 and found wonderful homes for the other 3. They are the sweetest cats.
Liza Fisher Norman
10:44 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Spring Garden Mill, Langhorne Players' home, as you noted flooded, and forced our production of Rabbit Hole to be truncated. It's a year later, and we have replaced the damaged floors and doors, repaired and repainted interior walls, and worked hard to make the playhouse a safe and attractive place for our patrons and performers. There is much more work to be done to repair and beautify the exterior, which is high on our fundraising list. You can read about Irene's impact here: http://www.langhorneplayers.org/behind-the-scenes-blog/2011/9/4/the-show-must-go-on.html Thank you to everyone who helped us get back on our feet and who cared. We are blessed to be part of this community.