Preparing for future storms: Adirondack town officials discuss emergency responses

Storm damage from Hurricane Beryl in Adirondacks highlights need for comprehensive response plans

By Mike Lynch

Severe  weather has battered Adirondack communities over the last several years, putting elected officials on notice that they need to be prepared for the next tornado, wind storm, or flooding event that hits their region. 

The issue is rising in importance because of the financial strain damages are putting on small town governments, in addition to the health and safety issues the events present. 

That’s why members of the Adirondack Association of Towns and Village chose to focus on the topic of storm response for the bulk of the morning during their winter meeting Monday in Lake George. 

“When you have the inability to provide repairs to your roads, to culverts, to bridges, and you’re a little town, and you’re a town supervisor of a little town, or town supervisor or mayor of a larger town, it can be a daunting challenge,” said Essex Supervisor Ken Hughes, vice president of AATV,  a membership organization for elected officials in the 101 towns of the Adirondack Park whose mission is to address issues of concern to communities. 

Hughes, who moderated the panel discussion, said that the July 10 storm of Hurricane Beryl wiped out Essex’s annual highway budget of $495,000 in a matter of 48 hours. 

“July 10 really was a wake up call for many of us in this room,” Hughes said. 

Hughes said discussions like the association’s  are important for Adirondack communities because it draws attention to how many small towns lack the resources to deal with these emergency situations. 

“It’s important for small towns to understand where the resources are, who to go to in the event of an emergency, or who to go to in the event of planning to mitigate or get ahead of an emergency,” Hughes said.

“The value that I take out of this today, and I think the value that what we were looking to do for today’s event was to put people in the same room, put the state in the same room with the supervisors, put the county officials in the same room with the supervisors, and get those ideas out there.” 

The panel consisted of staff from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, state Department of Homeland Security, and officials from Essex and Warren counties. The state representatives talked about navigating permits often associated with storm damage and provided some information about funding resources.

Jim Dougan, Essex County’s superintendent of public works, said planning ahead has allowed Essex County to respond quickly to this summer’s storms, and it has replaced several bridges and culverts since then. He noted the county has started keeping an inventory of certain materials, including culverts, and has plans for contracting the work. It also has a reserve fund for emergencies. 

Jim Lieberum, district manager of Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, talked about how communities have been hit not only by big storms — the 2019 Halloween Storm and Beryl — but by the many smaller isolated weather events. 

“It’s the death by 1,000 cuts,” he said. “It’s the storm events that come through six, eight, 10, 15, 20 times.”

And it’s not just the material costs that are adding up because of weather events like icy roads, it’s the labor costs associated with maintaining and repairing infrastructure. 

“So how can we do better?” he asked the group. “So proper planning is the best storm response. Getting a plan that is actually usable and tailored to your community is, I think, the most important thing you can do.” 

He emphasized the need for governments to have and use hazard mitigation plans. He acknowledged small towns often lack staff to implement what is in the plan,  but it can lay the groundwork for getting funds. 

“This allows you to lay out in a comprehensive format, projects, programs, issues, and then you can use it as justification to apply for funding,” he said.