Hurricane Irene: Erring on The Side of Caution [VIDEO]

Bed-Stuy residents today wasted no time resuming business as usual, following a hurricane that sent residents on a buying frenzy for emergency toolkits and then scurrying inside their homes praying for the best.

Residents were out early this morning sweeping their stairs and sidewalks, riding bikes and walking their dogs, while trucks from the Parks Department were hard at work removing trees and other heavy debris.

It was a beautiful day, and apart from streets littered heavy with leaves and sticks, and a few dented cars from fallen branches, Hurricane Irene's effects in Bedford-Stuyvesant were nowhere near as bad as predicted.

Residents seemed relaxed, relieved to be able to walk outside and reported no flooding or serious injuries. And although a few residents say they felt the mayor and his administration overreacted to what they say was just a heavy rain storm, most supported the city’s aggressive disaster response, saying it was far better to err on the side of caution.

“I was surprised to see the crews out here so early," said Bed-Stuy resident Azena. She said, compared to last winter in which many people were stranded, the city was a lot more prepared.

"During the blizzard of December '10, this neighborhood felt left out. But this time I have to say, two thumbs up to the mayor for responding so soon.”

However, Bed-Stuy resident Adasha Lacaille felt the mayor over-reacted to what she characterized as “just a lot of wind and rain,” causing a lot of people to spend money they really didn’t have.

“It was just rain and a lot of wind," she said laughing. "They made everybody go shopping. I know a lot of people who are mad right now they went shopping.”

However, Henry Ellsworth disagreed: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said, as he swept the leaves off the front stoop of his brownstone. “It’s always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. So I’m feeling pretty good right now.”