It is a house you may recognize from Irene damage photos. The massive yellow house in Prattsville is tipping on it's foundation. And when it first tipped, someone was still inside.
How one woman was rescued from the flooding; that is quite a story.
These days, a Catskill apartment is home for Anastasia Rikard. Because that yellow house, used to be her home.
For more than a century, the house stood proud in Prattsville until Irene came through.
"I just remember a horrible creaking and crashing," said Rikard. "I was freaking out, screaming at the top of my lungs."
She has only been back a few times since the flooding.
Rikard said she had just come home when the water started to rise, and rise fast. She got stuck on the second floor with her dog and cat.
"It is so hard to describe what was going through my head," said said. "I was afraid the roof was going to collapse on us. I remember falling asleep and scaring myself awake. I thought I can't fall asleep in case something happens, if someone comes by to get me out.
And eventually someone did. Members of the Clinton Heights and Melrose Fire Departments were deployed by the state during Irene to Prattsville.
As soon as they hit town, their boats hit the water.
Clinton Heights Fire Lt. Tony Hazzard said, "We were told we were going to a yellow house about five houses down, that there was a woman there trapped on the second story."
That woman was Anastasia.
But as the swift water team made their way to her they ran into tough currents, even trees and telephone poles.
They had to make rescues along the way.
"Once we put the family of four in the boat, myself and Chris Racine made our way to get you", said Hazzard.
Even with their training, the quick water around the house made it difficult for the team to get Anastasia. After trying a number of windows, it turns out part of the crumbling house worked to their advantage.
"The floor is pulled away from the wall right there, said Anastasia. "They fed the rope up through here and latched onto something."
Ronald Stark, Clinton Height's Safety Officer said, "She used it as a safety line and brought her legs out one at a time onto my shoulders. Thats where Tony and Chris brought her down to the ground."
In the beginning of October, Anastasia finally got to be reunited for the first time with the men who got her out. She got the chance to thank each team member.
Rikard said to her rescuers, "Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you. I'm sure if I had other people here they would thank you too."
The day was filled with thank yous from Anastasia. A big one for saving her life, the others for helping to save her town.
And help will continue.
Clinton Heights will hold a fundraiser for the people of Prattsville. A time share in Kissimmee, Florida will be raffled off through the department and the money raised will go to Prattsville.
Tickets for the Clinton Heights raffle are $5 for one ticket, 5 for $20.
You can mail a donation to the department at P.O. Box 226, Rensselaer, New York 12144.
Include your name and address so the department can mail your ticket to you.
The drawing will be on Jan. 21 at the Annual Installation Dinner of the Clinton Heights Fire Department.
For more information you can call the department at (518) 462-2922.
