Six months since Tropical Storm Irene
Tuesday will mark six months to the day since Tropical Storm Irene touched down in upstate New York. In the Village of Schoharie, a majority of the properties were destroyed by the storm's floodwaters. Our Megan Cruz has a look at the recovery.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- A big concern coming out of last summer's flood was that there would be an exodus of home and businesses owners who couldn't afford to rebuild their properties. But six months later, once empty homes and storefronts are turning on their lights.
For one entrepreneur, it meant coming back to the place he calls home and opening up a new diner. The Blue Star Cafe on Main Street in the Village of Schoharie was under four feet of water after Irene hit. It was the Alley Cat Diner back then, but because of the flood, the owner of 20 years decided not to rebuild.
Rotterdam business owner and Schoharie native, Larry Breckenridge, decided to come back and open another business. He already owns a Blue Star Cafe in Rotterdam. He said it wasn't the smartest decision financially. He actually lost money rebuilding the place, but he said his payday isn't about the money. Breckenridge is hoping other business owners will follow in his footsteps with the rebuilding effort.
Tuesday marks the six month anniversary of when Irene hit.