Lock 7 Trouble In Niskayuna Makes Hurricane Irene Personal

Yesterday I had every intention to go down to Lock 7 in Niskayuna to see if the water level had risen much.  I had no idea that there was a problem there.  I found out quick enough!

On WNYT.com they had a story that came up on my phone.  In a nutshell here's what it said:

NISKAYUNA, N.Y. - The Town of Niskayuna has ordered the evacuation of all residents who live in “low-lying” levels along the Mohawk River.

My eyes bugged out of my head!  This is right in my town!  So I jumped in my vehicle hoping to grab a quick photo of this, but they had already blocked off River Road completely.   No such luck.  Didn't matter.  It just really drove home the point that this storm is personal. It's right here literally in all of our back yards.  I know a family who lives right down there.  What happens to them?  Where do they go?  What happens if their house is flooded and their belongings get washed away like so so many in the area?

It makes you thank your lucky stars and, more importantly, it makes you want to give back.  We plan to do just  that.  Looks like we'll be setting up shop at the Crossgates Mall and we're staying there until we feel we've raised enough for the American Red Cross. More information to come, so stay tuned, either on air or on line at WGNA.com