WATERBURY, Vt. -
Residents of flood ravaged Randall Street in Waterbury find comfort in community.
Lefty Sayah's Waterbury home hides its scars well. The roughly 100 year old Victorian is in great shape after 3 major storms.
"1927, the '38 hurricane -- and of course the 2011 Flood," he said.
That flood was the result of Tropical Storm Irene. When she made her way to Randall Street, she flooded homes throughout the neighborhood, ripping them to their studs.
"Everything was torn out. It was nothing but 2x4's standing upright, and all the wiring of course had to go," Sayah said.
When WCAX visited Sayah and his neighbors last year, family treasures and furniture lined the street.
"We threw away our stove, our refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, and freezers," he told a reporter soon after the flood.
One year later many repairs are done and homes are looking a lot better on Randall Street. While some homeowners have their places up for sale, many say this is exactly where they're here to stay after a year of helping each other through the storm.
"We created a Facebook group called Randall Street Recovery and it was a way for us to share information on our recovery efforts everything from volunteers -- who was coming, who needed them -- to supplies -- to how do we deal with insurance," said Heidi Hall.
It's a battle the mother of four hopes is behind her, along with the threat of a future Irene. "We're in a full recovery I think, but there is still that doubt and that fear. It's nice to know that everybody else is kind of feeling it too," she said.
Still, the residents on this resilient street are like so many others across Vermont -- committed to their neighbors and the place they call their own.
"There really isn't a better place to raise your children than Randall Street," Hall said.
"It was a close neighborhood to begin with, but it brought it even closer," Lefty Sayah added.
