Potsdam residents were quick to respond after Tuesday's rain and wind storm made its way through the town Tuesday. Our Cara Thomas spoke with some of those residents and business owners most affected by the storm.

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POTSDAM, N.Y. -- Everyone seems to be chipping in. Members of the Potsdam Fire Department, as well as the local and state Departments of Transportation, are helping clean up the mess. But there are some residents we’ve spoken to who were hit pretty badly, yet they're still able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The high winds and rain were a sight to see Tuesday afternoon and many residents say it was something they’ll never forget. But for some businesses and homeowners in downtown Potsdam, this storm won’t be such a fond memory.

"You've got three businesses in downtown Potsdam that had pretty significant damage to them, as well as some residential buildings, so it's going to take a while to fix it up and it's going to cost some serious money to get those place straightened around," said Village Administrator David Fenton.

One business is Evans and White ACE Hardware, which suffered a huge hit from the storm.

"It just shook the whole side of the building when the back half of the roof went off and landed in the river. It was not a fun situation," said John White, Evans and White ACE Hardware Manager.

And on Main Street, a tree fell on a brick house with another tree completely uprooted in the front lawn. The owner, Ted Prahl, believes all the damage could end up costing around $10,000. And it’s not just the trees he has to worry about.

Prahl said, "About a 200 pound block of bricks hit the back deck and of course, not only did it break the decking, but it broke the foundation too."

While the damage is substantial, both men say it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. And with the amount of help they're receiving from friends and community members. They say they're ready to move ahead and make the necessary repairs.

"We're real fortunate to have the customer base we have and the people in this town all come together and pitch in and we're going forward," White said.

And for Prahl, he'll never forget how complete strangers, three military men, came over to help clean up the mess.

"It was so wonderful to see them there and they just worked their tails off and it was incredible and it was, it touched my heart," Prahl said.
Prahl says he hopes to begin the repairs on his home within the next month. And White says even though ACE Hardware has some internal water damage, they won't close if he has anything to say about it.