WILMINGTON, Vt. - Business owners in the town of Wilmington, Vt., one of the hardest hit areas during Irene, continue to rebuild as Hurricane Sandy approaches.
According to the town manager, last year people weren't that worried about warnings ahead of the storm, but this year they are on high alert.
It took 12 hours for waters to rise up over the bridge in Wilmington and wipe out businesses downtown, including the iconic Dots during Irene. Owner Patty Reagan is currently in the process of rebuilding, but some of the work is on hold as everyone stands by to see how hard Sandy hits.
But before the storm, Reagan checked in to see how the new foundation is holding up.
"It's all tied up. Stronger than it ever was before," she said.
When Irene hit, Reagan's restaurant was destroyed like many of the other businesses in town.
"It was like a bomb went off that day," she said.
Wilmington town manager Scott Murphy is taking lessons learned from Irene and applying them to Sandy. "It took us 12 months, till August, to move back in," he said.
Just two months after moving back in to their town offices they're hoping it doesn't flood again. News 10 asked Murphy if the town was prepared last year. "Absolutely not," he replied.
Reagan wasn't prepared for her restaurant to go under water either. She wasn't planning to rebuild the business. However, she saw what it meant to people in the community and was persuaded to rebuild. "Families come here for generations. Even if it's once a year," she explained.
Like Reagan's business much of the town is in repair as they face another storm. "We already have a command center set up," said Murphy. "Red Cross delivered cots and blankets."
Steps that weren't taken before the storm, last year. This year, they are not taking any chances with Sandy. "A lot of people have done a lot to make the town look good again."
Reagan says she's not letting the storm slow her down. Dots is expected to be back up and running in January.
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