As Hurricane Irene travels northward, leaving the major cities of New York and Washington in better shape than anticipated, new dangers are arising for the remote and rural portions of upstate New York and Vermont, where massive flooding has already devastated several small communities.
Throughout upstate New York's Catskill Mountains, several small towns have been completely submerged by floodwaters, which have roared down the region's many rivers and streams.
Much of the land in the area was already waterlogged when Irene arrived, dumping another 10-15 inches of rain.
The local news website Watershed Post has kept a running tally of local reports of "devastation" in the small towns in the region.
In Windham, for instance, news sources and images linked on the site have depicted a scene of "total destruction," with most houses in the low-lying parts of town covered to their roofs in water. The town has been "wiped out," in the words of Windham Fire Chief Michael Scarey, according to the Mid Hudson News.
Commenters on the site have described a rapidly deteriorating situation, with the local emergency services reportedly being completely overwhelmed by the number of people in need.
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