How to find out which roads are flooded after Irene?

August 31, 2011 6:53 PM

The MP and I are headed to Canada tomorrow; huzzah! We're supposed to be driving through western Connecticut, Massachusetts, and central Vermont, though, and through upstate New York on the way back. How do I find out which roads are flooded?
posted by ocherdraco to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

For Western Mass., check out this nifty Google Map from the Mass. DOT. The main thing you'd probably be worried about is that section of I-91 that's closed, though it still appears to be open northbound.
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:09 PM on August 31, 2011

Offered purely as a precaution: A friend of mine just drove from MA to the Catskills. He said what would ordinarily have been a 3 hour drive took 8.5 hours. My understanding is that information on impassable roads is not necessarily reliable, accurate, or up-to-date, so I'd just exercise some healthy skepticism — and build in a lot of extra time for your trip.

(This is not to ding the link that Johnny just posted.)
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 7:46 PM on August 31, 2011

Response by poster: what would ordinarily have been a 3 hour drive took 8.5 hours

Oy vey. Our drive is normally supposed to take eight hours. Well, we'll do our best.
posted by ocherdraco at 7:58 PM on August 31, 2011

The Watershed Post has been covering the Catskills region. Most places are still in a state of emergency, and people have been asked not to travel through as it is hindering recovery efforts at this point.
posted by peagood at 7:59 PM on August 31, 2011

Response by poster: The Vermont AOT has a Google map, too. It's looking like I-91 is clear all the way north—this is good news.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:00 PM on August 31, 2011

Response by poster: We won't be going through the Catskills.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:00 PM on August 31, 2011

Apparently 6 miles of route 2 got washed out near florida / savoy / charlemont, so I'd suggest avoiding the mohawk trail if you're in the northern end of western mass.
posted by jenkinsEar at 5:15 AM on September 1, 2011

Where will you be going through in New York State?

Stay out of Delaware County, Schoharie County, rural portions of Albany County and Schenectady County, plus Columbia County. I-88 is open once again if you have to go through those counties, but don't do any side trips off of it. Other freeways are fine at this point.
posted by jgirl at 5:21 AM on September 1, 2011

See https://crisislanding.appspot.com/?crisis=2011_flooding_vermont


Windham County VT has a good map too at http://www.windhamregional.org/roadstatus
posted by thefool at 7:16 AM on September 1, 2011

Interstate 91 is open all the way through now, I think.
posted by thefool at 7:17 AM on September 1, 2011

I suggest 511vt.com
posted by terrapin at 2:21 PM on September 1, 2011