2011 part 1.0: Hurricane Irene floods Shelburne Falls

Downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit New England, Irene dumped 10+ inches of rain in short time, possibly compromising the nearly breached Harriman Reservior…so they opened the gates and let ‘er rip.  They speculate if Harriman went, Shelburne Falls would be two stories deep in water.  Many property and store owners along the river got swamped…some lost everything.  I escaped the crestwater by about 4″, though my landlord’s basement was filled to the brim.  It was at least as high as the 1938 flood…many old-timers I spoke to couldn’t remember anything like good ole irene!