Five years ago this month, Tropical Storm Irene struck the region.
In addition to destroying homes and bridges and turning out the lights, it brought some communities together and divided others. It highlighted communities’ abilities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
Members of five Upper Valley communities have organized events later this month in Hartford and South Royalton to remember the storm, and to highlight some improvements and the challenges still ahead.
The Community Resilience Organization of Hartford has planned a week of events — from Monday Aug. 22 to Saturday Aug. 27 — leading up to the anniversary of the storm.
And on the day of the storm’s anniversary, Aug. 28, four White River Valley communities will host a daylong event in South Royalton.
Hartford Planning and Development Director Lori Hirshfield said the town is hosting the week of resilience events for two reasons: To expand the community’s ability to respond to a disaster — natural or not — and to prevent such disasters in the first place.
“It’s five years out,” she said. “What have we learned? What more do we need to learn?”
The Hartford events are partially modeled on Bethel University — an annual March pop-up school in which community members offer to teach each other skills — said Dylan Kreis, chairman of the Community Resilience Organization of Hartford.
Bethel University — which residents began as a way to unite the community in the wake of Irene — invites all who wish to to teach courses. At least for this first year, Kreis’ committee handpicked the presenters in Hartford, he said.
On Aug. 22, a panel discussion about resilience is scheduled at the Bugbee Senior Center on North Main Street in White River Junction at 7 p.m. Panelists include Kevin Geiger, a senior planner for Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission; Martha McDaniels, chairwoman of the Hartford Energy Commission and Will Allen, founding director of Cedar Circle Farm in East Thetford.
On Aug. 23, West Hartford resident and polar scientist Cathy Geiger is slated to speak about weather and climate resiliency at Hartford Town Hall on Bridge Street in White River Junction at 6 p.m. Then, Selectboard member Alan Johnson — a founding member of the town’s Energy Commission — will speak about energy independence, also at the Town Hall.
On Aug. 24, Hartford resident Karl Rosengrant will discuss responsible financial planning in a workshop entitled “Collapse and Opportunity” at the Town Hall at 7 p.m.
On Aug. 25, The Hartford Fire Department will offer Preparedness 101 at 12:30 p.m. at the Bugbee Senior Center and at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall. The workshop will include suggestions of what an emergency kit should contain.
Also on Aug. 25, naturalist and wilderness guide Mark Kutolowski will guide a wild edible plant adventure from The Center for Transformational Practice on Latham Works Lane in White River Junction at 3 p.m.
Later that evening, food systems consultant Cat Buxton and writer and healer Didi Pershouse will hold a symposium on soil at The Center for Transformational Practice. The symposium — which begins at 5:30 p.m. — will be followed by a potluck.
On Aug. 26, there will be another opportunity to hear Geiger’s presentation on weather and climate at the West Hartford Library on Route 14 at 6 p.m.
On Aug. 27, Upper Valley Food Co-op Produce Manager Sharon Mueller will offer a session on how to conduct a skill share at the Quechee Library on Quechee Main Street at 3 p.m.
Former Selectboard chairman Chuck Wooster will offer a session on growing greens in the winter at Sunrise Farm on North Hartland Road in White River Junction at 3 p.m.
A celebration of community resilience is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Town Hall. It is set to include apple tree planting, a dedication in honor of the anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene, story sharing and refreshments.
Kreis said he hopes Hartford can hold a similar event on an annual basis, perhaps coordinating with Bethel University and other neighboring towns to expand offerings and grow the region’s sense of community.
His ambitions don’t end there.
“Hopefully it goes worldwide at some point,” he said.
Four White River Valley communities — Bethel, Royalton, Sharon and Tunbridge — have pulled together to put on a full day of events on the fifth anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday, Aug. 28 in South Royalton.
The premise of the White River Resilience Festival is that communities that “learn how to work and play well together will rebound faster,” said Peg Elmer Hough, a professional planner whose South Royalton home was severely damaged by Irene. Hough will also be speaking at Hartford’s celebration on Aug. 27.
People feel “so much more secure in a town where people know people will take care of them,” she said.
The festival will include a morning fun run and walk, volunteer activities, as well as information, food and music on the green.
The morning walk and run will have 5K and 1 mile route options. The race begins at 9 a.m. on the green. Online registration in advance costs $10, with discounts available for early birds and teams. Registration on the day of the event costs $12 and begins at 8:30 a.m.
Other activities include the option to participate in three community service projects. One group is set to clear trees from the Kent’s Ledge Trail, another will do some pruning around the Royalton Memorial Library in preparation for the library’s expansion and a third will clear up or do some planting along streambanks in Bethel or Sharon.
More information about the race and a link to a sign-up sheet for the volunteer activities is available on the White River Resilience Festival’s Facebook page.
There will be several emergency preparedness demonstrations on the green, including smoke detector 101, fire engine and ambulance tours and a lesson in how to secure a rope around a tree in swift water. Perhaps, the demonstration will encourage participants to volunteer for the fire department, said Hough.
A slideshow of photographs from Irene will be on display at Building a Local Economy on South Windsor Street. Those with photos to display are invited to send them to Hough at elmer.peg1@gmail.com.
There will be games — including a sandbag filling contest — as well as food from Black Krim Tavern in Randolph and farmers’ market booths.
“(It’s) intended to be fun, but informative,” Hough said.
In case of rain, the festival will take place at South Royalton School on South Windsor Street.
Elsewhere in Vermont, Irene anniversary events are planned in Danby, Northfield, Montpelier, Pawlet, Pittsfield, Plymouth and Rochester.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
