Good Night, Irene

New Milford residents won't soon forget Hurricane Irene that came storming into town on Aug. 28, or all the damage that it wreaked in its path. Irene caused so much destruction along the eastern seaboard that the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) hurricane committee announced yesterday that Irene's name has been retired and replaced by Irma. 

The announcement, made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said that Irene is the 76th name to be retired from the Atlantic list since 1954. 

Irene became a hurricane on Aug. 22, 2011, and intensified to a Category 3 hurricane when it made contact with the Bahamas. Irene made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in North Carolina on Aug. 27 before hammering the eastern seaboard with fierce winds and a storm surge that struck at the new moon high tide, causing extreme flooding. Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States in three years.

The storm was blamed for 49 deaths, including 41 in the U.S., and damage estimated at $15.8 billion. 

, $116,438.48 of which is being reimbursed by FEMA. Costs include labor, overtime, equipment, debris removal from flooding and direct administrative costs.

New Milford is still reeling from the after-effects of Irene. Homes that experienced severe flooding are still undergoing renovation, while others have requested to be bought out by .