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After the Storms: 10 Years and 36,000+ Volunteers Later
May 1, 2021
What: After the Storms: 10 Years and 36,000+ Volunteers Later is a multi-media exhibit developed by New York Folklore and partner organization, SALT Development, to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the flooding of the Schoharie basin caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical storm Lee in 2011. The exhibition recognizes the volunteers who made recovery possible for the residents and business owners of the Schoharie watershed. The exhibit opened at the Schoharie River Center on August 28, 2021 and was on view at the Schoharie River Center’s Cultural Hall through September 2021. Watch for it at the New York Power Authority, Blenheim Visitor’s Center (Route 30, Blenheim) from late January through April 2022. It will open at the Old Stone Fort Museum, 145 Fort Road, Schoharie, NY on May 1, 2022.
After the Storms is based upon substantial oral history research that began in 2014. Schoharie Area Long Term Recovery (now SALT Development) and the Zadock Pratt Museum, working with New York Folklore, captured more than sixty narratives of Schoharie Creek area residents who were either themselves personally impacted by the flooding caused by Irene and Lee, or volunteered to assist with recovery within the region. Those who were “in harm’s way” or suffered loss of property, and those who helped in the recovery efforts for communities throughout the Schoharie Watershed, have unique experiences that can provide insights into the rebuilding process. Their recorded narratives of the event and its aftermath provide a glimpse of the lived experience of flooding and recovery. After the Storms: 10 Years and 36,000+ Volunteers later, commemorates the recovery and rebuilding of “community.”
After the Storms: 10 Years and 36,000+ Volunteers Later is funded through grants from Humanities New York, Fenimore Asset Management, Midtel, Stewart’s Shops, the Documentary Heritage Program of the New York State Archives, and the New York State Council on the Arts, through support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. It has received partnership support from the Schoharie Historical Society/Old Stone Fort Museum, the Zadock Pratt Museum, the Schoharie River Center, and the New York Power Authority.
The audio segment below is a snapshot of the more than sixty interviews that were collected by New York Folklore and SALT Development to document the impact of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
Audio segment mastered by Working Pictures, Albany NY