Peter Andres Jensen
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A water main under Indian Lake Road in Amenia sprays water after construction workers with C. Gallagher Contracting, of Brewster, New York, attempted to cut the pipe to replace a damaged section on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Crew members said high pressure in a pipe encumbers cutting, fills the hole with too much water, and could cause workers to be too wet for the extremely low temperatures.
Photo by Nathan Miller
The pipe was fixed by 9:30 p.m. and water service was restored to affected customers, crew members said.
Flow from the pipe had not slowed at 8:30 p.m. even after shutting one of the valves, crew members on site said. Representatives of VRI Environmental Services — Amenia's contracted water system operator — located other valves and fire hydrants to further reduce pressure in the pipe shortly before 9 p.m.
Crew members with VRI Environmental Services and C. Gallagher Contracting assess the flow rate of the damaged pipe under Indian Lake Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.Photo by Nathan Miller
Pat Cusano, of North Salem, New York, assisted the Gallagher crew on Tuesday for two water main breaks in Amenia. The first sprung up on Depot Hill Road and was reported by resident David Intrieri at 8:45 a.m.
The Depot Hill Road leak was patched with a collar seal that wrapped around the leak. The crew put the collar in place around 2:30 p.m.
Cusano said the crew went immediately to the Indian Lake Road leak after that, but the first valve couldn't be located until roughly 7:30 p.m.
A white plastic pipe replaces the damaged section of water main beneath Indian Lake Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27.Photo by Nathan Miller
Imprecisely marked valves on a map of the town's water system caused significant delays in repairing the Indian Lake Road leak, crew members said. Water Committee Chair Bill Flood said VRI only recently took over managing Amenia's water system, and company representatives were still becoming familiar with the district's layout.
Cusano said locating the valves was further complicated by large snowbanks hiding the infrastructure.
VRI representatives said there is a break in Millerton as well, but the leak did not require immediate attention. Crews are expected to patch that leak tomorrow.
A collar seal covers a crack in a water main pipe near 54 Depot Hill Road in Amenia.Photo by Nathan Miller
The breaks were caused by the extreme cold weather, crew members said. Cold temperatures can cause dirt to shift and contract, putting stress on pipes that are up to 30 years old in Amenia.
"There'll be more tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day," Cusano said. "It's just that time of year."
Stanford locals utilize the snow covered hill below Stanford Town Hall on Route 82 on Friday, Jan. 23, before the weekend's snow storm deposited up to 18 inches across northeast Dutchess County.
Photo by Nathan Miller
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency leading up to the storm, as did Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino.
Snowfall totals exceeded forecasts across northeast Dutchess County, with heavy, persistent bands producing more than a foot and a half of accumulation. Schools, municipal offices, churches and numerous community events were canceled or postponed through Monday as plowing operations continued and temperatures dropped into the single digits overnight.
Shawn Milton, an employee of the Stanford highway crew, assesses a plow truck on Friday, Jan. 23, in anticipation of the weekend's winter storm. He and his colleague Zach Zampko said Stanford's equipment was in good working order ahead of the storm.Photo by Nathan Miller
Road crews across the region said they felt prepared heading into the storm. While storms of this magnitude are relatively rare, crews expressed confidence that the cold temperatures would keep the snow lighter and easier to manage.
Visits to North East, Amenia, Washington, Stanford and Pine Plains found salt supplies well stocked and equipment in good working order ahead of the snowfall.
In Stanford, Highway Superintendent Jim Myers and his crew were strapping plows to trucks in the town garage on Friday morning, Jan. 23. Myers said the town was as ready as it could be — a sentiment echoed by highway departments throughout the region.
"You just got to stay on top of it," Myers said. "Keep going."
Labor shortages remain a concern during major storms, crew members said, noting that county and state resources can be stretched thin in more remote areas. In many towns, local road crews are only responsible for town-owned roads, with county and state crews often responsible for the numbered highways and routes.
Roads were covered with snow much of the day on Sunday, Jan. 25, as highway crews worked to keep up with snowfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour during the most intense parts of the storm. Photo by Nathan Miller
Some weather models are predicting that another winter storm may hit the Northeast on Sunday, Feb. 1, and Monday, Feb. 2. Predictions are still early, but they suggest more snow is coming.
Dutchess County operates a warming center assistance program through its Department of Child and Family Services. Residents in need of a safe, warm place to stay may call 845-486-3300 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or 211 after 5 p.m. for assistance in finding shelter.
Additional reporting by Christian Murray
