2 months later, families displaced by explosion in Dutchess County, N.Y. face new challenge

WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. - It has been two months since an explosion injured 15 people in Dutchess County, N.Y.

Two people are still in the hospital after the disaster. 

Some families displaced by that explosion are still struggling to put their lives back together. 

A massive pile of burned rubble lingers two months later on Brick Row, along with pumpkins that are starting to frost. 

On November 2, a utility crew ruptured a gas line, leading to a devastating explosion and fire. Four town homes were destroyed, and several more across the street were damaged. 

Christine Bell, her boyfriend, and their 7-month-old son, were not hurt. 

"I left work right away, and when I got there, it was like a scene out of a movie," Bell said. 

Bell's rented apartment was across the street from the explosion. Her windows were blown out by the blast. 

"All you see was flames and smoke from the building burning," Bell said. 

Central Hudson Gas and Electric put more than a dozen displaced families up at a hotel in Fishkill. Officials with the utility company said they informed residents in November that they will stop paying for those rooms starting this Thursday. 

Bell said she's not sure where to go next. 

"We're trying to find a cheaper hotel for right now," Bell said. 

In addition to paying for more than two months of hotels, Central Hudson donated $50,000 to the local police union to help impacted families. The PBA collected and dispersed a total of about $70,000 to 19 families to help them find new apartments, or stay in the hotel longer. Some of those families have since found new apartments. Multiple people said the they've been trying, but have had no luck as yet. 

"We've been looking diligently. But it's been hard, because nothing's, like, in our price range," Bell said. 

There's been little progress in cleaning up the rubble on Brick Row. The homes still standing have no gas or electric service. 

"It's not easy. We just want to go home," Bell said. 

Her name is still on her mailbox, but it's not clear if she'll ever be able to call the place home again. 

Police say an 8-year-old boy is among those still hospitalized. The other person still in the hospital is a utility worker who was there when the gas line ruptured.