Hurricane Sandy
First and foremost: We (meaning my immediate family, my mother-in-law, my sister and her boyfriend) are alive and safe. We were spared any damage to our bodies, our homes, and our cars.
We are still recovering from the devastating effects of the storm; mentally, physically, and emotionally. It will be a while. It is no understatement to say it resembles Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans. It is no hyperbole to say some parts of coastal NJ looks like it has been war-ravaged. Homes continue to be submerged in water, roads are impassable because of sand, fallen trees, or downed power lines. People are in shelters, staying with friends, or shivering as temperatures fall below 40 degrees and their homes have no heat. We are in the dark. There is no power for close to 6 million homes in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
My school has been shut down for four days, the longest in its history (since opening in 1981, the longest school has been shut is two consecutive days for a brutal snowstorm, that's it). The road leading to Sandy Hook is impassable and barricaded. Half my town is still underwater. There is no power and because we have electric heat, electric stove, electric water heater.. conditions were hard in our home. We left. We are staying with my mother-in-law who lives 1 hour north and inland, two counties over-- her home was spared. Her neighborhood was not.. there are power lines and trees everywhere, and debris in the street; but miraculously, her street has power, so we are staying here for the time being.
My sister lives in Tribeca, the southern tip of Manhattan-- she is about 2 blocks away from World Trade Center Ground Zero for non-New Yorkers--- and every street below 34th is in the dark. It is eerily silent in NYC. She is OK.
The winds were unbelievable. The howling noises, the swaying trees. The rain was less than expected, but the winds. I have never watched anything like it. We did not risk going outdoors at all. Despite cabin fever, I refused to let any of my family outside to survey the beach, to watch the waves, to look at the wind. I do not have photos to share. We are indoors.
The effects are devastating. The photos you see on the news are real and horrific. The roads really are impassable, the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore are gone, the homes are washed away. The State of New Jersey has postponed Halloween to Monday due to unsafe conditions outside. Many towns have enacted mandated curfews and police are issuing summonses for people on the roads (walking or in their cars) beyond sunset (7 pm). I am sure looting and other crimes are going to escalate.
I hope others in the region are safe. Praying for everyone.
We are still recovering from the devastating effects of the storm; mentally, physically, and emotionally. It will be a while. It is no understatement to say it resembles Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans. It is no hyperbole to say some parts of coastal NJ looks like it has been war-ravaged. Homes continue to be submerged in water, roads are impassable because of sand, fallen trees, or downed power lines. People are in shelters, staying with friends, or shivering as temperatures fall below 40 degrees and their homes have no heat. We are in the dark. There is no power for close to 6 million homes in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
My school has been shut down for four days, the longest in its history (since opening in 1981, the longest school has been shut is two consecutive days for a brutal snowstorm, that's it). The road leading to Sandy Hook is impassable and barricaded. Half my town is still underwater. There is no power and because we have electric heat, electric stove, electric water heater.. conditions were hard in our home. We left. We are staying with my mother-in-law who lives 1 hour north and inland, two counties over-- her home was spared. Her neighborhood was not.. there are power lines and trees everywhere, and debris in the street; but miraculously, her street has power, so we are staying here for the time being.
My sister lives in Tribeca, the southern tip of Manhattan-- she is about 2 blocks away from World Trade Center Ground Zero for non-New Yorkers--- and every street below 34th is in the dark. It is eerily silent in NYC. She is OK.
The winds were unbelievable. The howling noises, the swaying trees. The rain was less than expected, but the winds. I have never watched anything like it. We did not risk going outdoors at all. Despite cabin fever, I refused to let any of my family outside to survey the beach, to watch the waves, to look at the wind. I do not have photos to share. We are indoors.
The effects are devastating. The photos you see on the news are real and horrific. The roads really are impassable, the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore are gone, the homes are washed away. The State of New Jersey has postponed Halloween to Monday due to unsafe conditions outside. Many towns have enacted mandated curfews and police are issuing summonses for people on the roads (walking or in their cars) beyond sunset (7 pm). I am sure looting and other crimes are going to escalate.
I hope others in the region are safe. Praying for everyone.