Irene is being called the worst natural disaster in Ulster County history. Our Beth Croughan got a bird's eye view of the destruction.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- The Cold Brook Bridge is missing. Flood waters washed it down the Esopus Creek and only pieces can be found, even from the sky.

"We can't identify where that one bridge went," said Ulster County Executive Mike Hein.

Tuesday, the county executive, sheriff and Emergency Management director toured the county by helicopter; flying from Kingston and following the Esopus Creek.

"As we moved out the 28 corridor what I saw was bridges completely washed out, roadways completely washed out," Hein explained.

The sheriff said his water rescue team pulled people from this house in the height of the storm.

"Now, it's a little easier to think that it's okay. But when you look back on late Saturday into Sunday, it's hard to believe that nobody got hurt or nobody got killed," said Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum.

But people are still stranded.

"It was very beneficial to see the areas that people are isolated in. And it's very clear why they're isolated. So I think it will help us pick out the perhaps, the best means to gain access to them," explained Art Snyder, the Ulster County Emergency Management Director.

Campers at the Frost Valley YMCA are unreachable by roads. The storm didn't just form cracks, but craters. Snyder said the kids evacuated by foot. ATV's are being used to reach others; four from the sheriff's department are in Shandaken.

"Human life, again, we understand that that is top priority in that situation. The next thing for us to do though, is to be able to begin to build, rebuild the infrastructure," said Hein.

But more than just infrastructure, damaged. Flying over New Paltz, you could see farm lands flooded. Areas north, south, east and west in the county, all affected by Irene. Officials said flying overhead has helped them prioritize where and when to send resources. "What for some, in some portions of our county, because it's so large, was a major rain event, in some other areas was total devastation," said Hein.

Emergency officials are in the process of assessing total damage and will apply for a federal disaster declaration. A disaster they estimate will take months to recover from.