Blog Archives
Swiss Chard, Radishes, Watermelon, Rutabaga … Gone for the Year
Instead of the usual spread of produce on their Prospect Park farmers market table, Evolutionary Organics, based in New Paltz, had these sad hand-drawn signs. Kira Kinney, who runs Evolutionary Organics, also handed out a flyer explaining her situation to her customers. Nineteen of her twenty-two acres are under water and much of her fall crop is lost.
Evolutionary Organics is particularly well-known for their delicious heirloom tomatoes. (I bought some on Saturday, and yep, they were delicious.) If you see Kira’s stand at the Union Square or Prospect Park farmers’ markets, pick up a batch. Click here for a great example of how to use them.
Photos of Margaretville, post-Irene
An Upstater reader sent us these photos, taking by his Margaretville-based friend Marty Rynearson. Should give a pretty clear sense of what folks are dealing with. Head over to Watershed Post for more info about volunteering, donations and other ways to help.
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Flood Insurance
For those of you about to embark on home ownership, we wanted to pass on this nifty resource, since hurricane season is in full swing and we’ve seen what major storms can do to the Catskills. Floodsmart is a government site, the product of the National Floor Insurance Program, and it gives you a chance to find out the answers to questions like “how much could a flood cost me?” and has resources for condo-owners, homeowners and renters. (Actually, I have renters’ insurance, but I have no idea if it covers floods!)
In general, flood insurance premiums are based on the following factors:
- Year of building construction
- Building occupancy
- Number of floors
- The location of its contents
- Its flood risk (i.e. its flood zone)
- The location of the lowest floor in relation to the elevation requirement on the flood map (in newer buildings only)
- The deductible you choose and the amount of building and contents coverage
All this means that it might be wise to check the flood zone of a building you’re interested in. You might save yourself a significant amount of insurance money by selecting a home on slightly higher ground.
Map of Damaged and Washed-Out Roads in Upstate New York
Click here for a helpful, interactive crowd-sourced Google map of washouts and closures in Greene, Delaware, and Ulster Counties.