Cruel, Cruel Summer Of '23 Draws To A Close: Patch Looks Back

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Labor Day weekend is everything we could have hoped for. It's understandable if the unofficial end to summer finds you not ready to bid goodbye, but Patch is here to remind you that the relationship with the summer of '23 wasn't always a rose garden.

Parkgoers and homeowners saw their traditional summer plans washed away. Wildfires in Canada saw the gratification of hikers and the boys of summer temporarily denied. An invasion by an invasive species turned acute. West Nile is everywhere and your neighbor is already sick. Bacteria and algae closed beaches again and again, leaving the shark-infested waters of Long Island the next best option.

The good news is that summer seemed to (mostly ) get its act together in time for the dog days of August and pools, beaches and amusement parks in the Hudson Valley called for a "mulligan" and declared extra summer days in September.

Patch looks back on our "summer of George" going off the rails.

HV Flood Timeline July 9: People Trapped, Cars Flood, Roads Collapse

The National Weather Service released its Local Storm Report detailing the events of the torrential rains in the Hudson Valley July 9-10 that caused one death, destroyed homes, roads, cars and bridges and damaged the United States Military Academy.

Yorktown Sees 8 Inches Of Rain; Cleanup, Recovery Continues

"It's all very surreal," Yorktown Supervisor Tom Diana said. "It's amazing how fast it came and now it's gone."

Thick Canadian Wildfire Smoke Due Back In The Hudson Valley

It had been almost three weeks since smoke blowing south from the wildfires raging in Quebec brought downstate New York its worst air quality in decades.

5th Shark Attack Confirmed On Long Island In 2 Days

Another person was confirmed to be bitten by a shark on Fire Island on Tuesday — the fifth reported shark attack on Long Island in a two-day period.

Hudson Valley Towns 'Overrun' With Spotted Lanternflies

An expert says that the infestation going on now from Yonkers to Larchmont is a glimpse of the future for the rest of the Hudson Valley.

First Human West Nile Infection This Season Confirmed In Westchester

The first person in Westchester County to test positive for West Nile disease is a New Rochelle resident, according to county health officials.

Tis The Season: 'Multiple Diseases From A Single Tick Bite'

Lyme disease is the one most people have heard of — it's the most common disease spread by ticks in New York — but the blacklegged deer tick, carrier of Lyme, also causes anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease.

Straight F's: Dismal LI Sound Beach Water Quality Report This Week

Save the Sound released its 10th weekly water quality report of the season where every single location's sample received a failing grade.

Rally Set To Ban Radioactive Wastewater Discharge In Hudson River

A rally was to urge Governor Kathy Hochul to sign legislation to prohibit the dumping of radioactive waste from nuclear plants in the Hudson River. The governor signed the bill into law.

Toxic Algae That Killed Dogs Found In New York Lakes

The kind of harmful algae that killed pets in North Carolina, Georgia and Texas threatened lakes and ponds all across New York.