Most Popular Stories of 2011

A dangerous and eye-grabbing stunt, a nude suicide off the Tappan Zee Bridge and rushing waters spilling down Main Street.

These are a few of the most-read Patch stories of the past 12 months. In this year-end roundup, we rank the most popular stories of 2011 by number of clicks—or, as you the reader saw them.

Take a read, and click the hyperlink to read the original, full post. Then sound off in the comments. (Note: the list ends with the most popular post.)

10) [June 24]

The water itself from this summer flash flood was amazing—about five minutes in 27 minutes. But the aftermath was what really made headlines: (which gave way to a ), Nyackers lost their homes and cars, and Oak Hill Cemetery experienced historic run-off.

9) [June 23]

Flooding is a matter of course in Rockland, but this story came equipped with photos of underwater parking lots and main streets turned into waterways.

8) [June 11]

Readers were surprised to learn about a prostitution ring so close to home—especially one that involved tens of thousands in cash and the arrest of several sex workers. (Read a long-form Patch investigation into local prostitution .)

7) [Nov. 2]

The sad story of a young man leaping to his death in the sprawling mall spawned comments that both offered comfort and called for stricter security at the shopping center.

6) [July 12]

The headline leaves out some important information: the two people who jumped were completely naked. They leaped unclothed from atop their car into the Hudson River; she died, he did not.

5) [May 26]

The tragic story of a young Congers girl allegedly attacked by a family friend made it into the year's top five most popular stories.

4) [June 9]

Still no word on the disappearance of a Westchester girl in her 20s, but an astounding number of social networking amber alerts are still going strong.

3) [June 23]

A headline can only convey so much. Watch the video and smile.

2) [Oct. 19]

The grisly murder-suicide in Westchester that claimed the lives of two children and a sparring, divorcing husband and wife grabbed the national spotlight for weeks. Nyack readers had a unique look at the crime—I reported the incident for all Hudson Valley Patches—and tuned in frequently as the case developed.

1) [Nov. 11]

Man loses his Rockland County job; man becomes angry with local politicians, government; man fashions his own rope ladder and politically-charged sign, jumps off Tappan Zee Bridge, hangs there for hours while boats and helicopters circle.

And that's just the beginning. This year's most read story focuses on Michael Davitt, who carried out a never-before-done stunt and walked away on . Check out an interview with Davitt .

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Want to read about 2010's top stories? Click .