(WBNG Binghamton) Communities across the Southern Tier are still reeling in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.
Local disaster areas have been declared for the Village of Fleischmanns and Margaretville.
Action News toured the devastation Tuesday to see how neighbors there are maintaining hope among the mess.
The storm left neighbors and businesses with a pile of destruction.
But, amid the twisted trees, metal and mud-soaked streets there is hope.
John Franckowiak was able to salvage most of his belongings.
"We've got one hell of a mess to clean up. So, we keep plugging along and cleaning up until we can get put back together," he says.
However, others such as Charlene Roberts were not so lucky.
The storm destroyed Roberts' video rental business.
"There's probably three to four inches of mud in there.Everything is off the shelves, on the floors and it's a disaster area," she says.
The water from the floods lifted sections of the Valkaryian Motel off of its foundation, leaving one woman dead.
Carl Patrick Davis, Code Enforcement Officer for the Town of Middletown, Village of Margaretville and the Village of Fleischmanns, surveyed what was left of the Motel.
"I believe she went down with one of the units. One of them washed off the foundation into the flood and she went with it and ended up drowning," he says.
The Salvation Army made the trek from Ohio to bring food and supplies to those in need.
"We're out here from lunch time and we serve lunch and dinner. We go back and we restock and we come back the next day," says Jason Price of the Salvation Army.
The rain and wind from Sunday's storm destroyed grocery stores, neighborhood parks and many businesses.
As neighbors pick up the broken pieces of towns they remember, many say the resilience of the people is the glue that binds their communities.
"I had a couple of great friends and their wives are helping us. My family has been here continuously and it's been kind of hard. We're doing the best we can," says Franckowiak.
"The community is so wonderful. I love it here. I love every person in this town," says Roberts.
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