Allan Moon writes:

This was just as Hurricane Eloise departed the area. It was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit our part of the country and it caused major, major wind and rain damage. Gil and George were the last ones to be able to cross that bridge. It was pretty far under the water that was washing over it. George ALMOST didn't make it. They said that he sounded like he was running on 4 cylinders. He got lucky, is all. Gil didn't have any real problem crossing with the hemi.
Just as they cleared the bridge it was hit by an entire big tree and that did the bridge in. There was no way to cross after that plus the water was still getting deeper and deeper. So they, like all the rest of us, got stranded in various little NYburgs scattered all over, staying wherever we could find.