Sandy's Heading My Way

[sweetpee_1993]

All the stuff I'm reading, the crying "Where's the government?", lack of water, hours long lines at gas stations, no power, hysterical/angry public, etc etc....I've seen it before. It's going to get worse before it gets better. Thank God it's not unbearably hot outside. You can pile on more clothes & blankets but you can't take off anymore layers once you're down to skin. Got news for ya, we lived without power in 90+ heat for over a month. It happens.

To those living it, know that I feel ya. Hang in there. Eventually you'll outlast the mess and life will go on. It'll be different but it will still go on. For a while I was irritated at how a stupid storm became the place marker in everyone's lives...you know...everything becomes a reference "before the storm" or "after the storm"...but I've come to accept it and move on. Something this big will be with you forever. It's part of your journey. Put on the strong face and soldier on. We're sending our love. When you're in the moment when you think you've reached your limit stop, take a breath, relax, then keep on keepin on. Eventually it will get better.

Do not buy into the media bs. They're out for ratings. They'll find the dead cat in the alley that was there before the storm, film it, and create a casualty sob story. Don't look to the media. Find a way to get bulletins from your local government (we were the parish Emergency Operations Center and we requisitioned a radio station!). In time things will get better.

It takes time for the authorities to assess damage, organize, and mobilize. It will not happen in 2 or 3 days. Again, hang in there. It will get better in small degrees.

Just know that those of us who have lived the unthinkable (because who ever imagines themselves in a real situation where they're nervously calculating the end of their food & water supply not knowing what you'll do next) are thinking of you and praying for you to have the strength & perseverence to pull thru this craziness to brighter days that ARE ahead. You can do it!

 

[LuLaSue]

Now this is exaggeration



Blackouts and basement floodings do not make a war zone I feel for the people out on Island who did experience complete destruction due to the fires. That is area is full of working class people who will be hit hard by all of this. But as much as we all look at the impact on the Jersey Shore.. we must also accept these are our RESORT towns, full of vacation homes, and major damage is limited to the actual coastal boundary areas. Lower Manhattan and SI is more of a personal tragedy than the resort towns. And sans for the fire area on SI, the impacts are on daily life and finding normalcy - not utter destruction.

Losing internet, phone, and power are inconveniences and make things difficult. You want a war zone, goto areas that all infrastructure is wiped out (not just down), wide swaths are destroyed (not just basement flooded), large losses of life, etc.

It's more than losing internet and phones! It's about losing lives...
I walked this neighborhoods myself. I am not here to argue. Just trying to tell you there is more to it than power outages. Please pray for the people who have lost everthing. There are many, many folks out there. Please don't pass judgement unless you have seen with your own eyes.

SI, Brooklyn, The Jersey Shore and the rest of the areas affected will get thru this. It will take time and lots of prayer...

 

[flynnibus]

The newer news about loss of life in the SI flooding is disturbing. But much of this is localized. It's sad people did not head the evacuation orders. People along the coast can not be complacent when it comes to storm surge.. it doesn't necessarily follow 1-to-1 with the wind scales. People see 'bah, its only a cat 1..'. It's all about wind direction, tides, pressure, AND the wind. It makes it very hard to predict and can be the difference between a blow causing some roof damage.. and all out waist high water or worse.

When the surge started flooding the Delmarva coast well before the storm was here... I got really worried. That was the worst flooding in our area I have in memory. Luckily it did not cause more than 3-4 feet above normal on the chesapeake side. I can't believe people further up the coast did not pay attention to this and take note. By 10am we knew the flooding here was gonna be bad.

 

[flynnibus]

Summed up best here...

Marrone said his workers are doing everything they can. City officials insist more help is on the way. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said there will be more bottled water and ready-to-eat meals coming to Staten Island. Whether that will be enough for people, or whether they'll think they're doing enough is still a question.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57544180/staten-island-sandy-victims-were-being-ignored/

 

[acishere]

Now this is exaggeration



Blackouts and basement floodings do not make a war zone I feel for the people out on Island who did experience complete destruction due to the fires. That is area is full of working class people who will be hit hard by all of this. But as much as we all look at the impact on the Jersey Shore.. we must also accept these are our RESORT towns, full of vacation homes, and major damage is limited to the actual coastal boundary areas. Lower Manhattan and SI is more of a personal tragedy than the resort towns. And sans for the fire area on SI, the impacts are on daily life and finding normalcy - not utter destruction.

Losing internet, phone, and power are inconveniences and make things difficult. You want a war zone, goto areas that all infrastructure is wiped out (not just down), wide swaths are destroyed (not just basement flooded), large losses of life, etc.

The Jersey Shore is more than beach houses and to chalk us up as simply resorts, while many of us who live here year round are badly effected and have lost our homes make you come off like a massive ____________.

 

[flynnibus]

The Jersey Shore is more than beach houses and to chalk us up as simply resorts, while many of us who live here year round are badly effected and have lost our homes make you come off like a massive ____________.

Have you lost your home?

 

[acishere]

Have you lost your home?

My best friend's house burned down. Another lost their apartment to flooding. Another had to evacuate when a tree took out their kitchen. My girlfriend's parents had their house get hit by a boat. The massive destruction is a few blocks away from where I live. My house only flooded and I just spent this morning throwing my stuff that was damaged out. I am very stressed so I apologize for what I said that was censored. Just still try not to dismiss an entire region because we get lots of tourists.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

If I could live year round in a vacation-type place I would so I'm sure there were year round residents in Jersey.

The relief will snowball in and conditions will improve. Right now everything is shocking to those hardest hit. I understand. I always marvel at the people the media find who live directly on a Gulf coast beach, lose everything to a hurricane, then you see them on tv saying "I can't believe this happened!" Well, silly, if you live on the coast it's never a matter of if its going to happen to you. It's a matter of when. But then I also understand that you can have if in your brain that something is bound to happen but it doesn't change the shock-factor of when it does because you can never truly know how you'll handle some things until you're in that moment. I can say with honesty I would've been doomed has I not had the resourcefulness of my hubby & his folks after Katrina to show me the direction. And you learn. Prior to that storm we weren't all that prepared. Subsequent storms we've actually thrived beautifully in the after effects.

Just think of the immediate needs and take each obstacle 1 at a time.

Those who are in affected areas and have yet to return to start cleaning up I strongly advise to get a tetanus booster prior to going back, start taking b12, build up your strength & immunity. Always carry the food, water, and gasoline you need to sustain you while in the effected area as well as enough to get you back out. People returning unprepared create more need on top of the already heavy load the relief workers/supplies bear. You need cash! Your plastic cards are useless when there's no power or communications.

Be careful cutting trees/branches. Good Lord. The worst memory I have of Katrina is the 13 year old boy who was helping his dad cut trees and was crushed by one that fell wrong. His parents' voices will haunt me for the rest of my life. Be careful. Please!!!!

 

[flynnibus]

And my fathers roof now needs replacing, his boat has about 3k worth of damage, has got lots of water damage from leaks. But we keep it in perspective. You live on the wAter, it comes with the territory. We have no idea if there is water damage at the place in oc, md which had severe flooding.

My best friend is in east village with only water service.

Most of this still pales to what people survive with tornados and the damage that comes with most natural disasters. The loss of life here is abnormally high, but unfortunately that is a lot due to people not evacuating.

The area got flooded just last year with Irene yet they did not respect the warnings

 

[LuLaSue]

The folks here have been utterly impressive. What an amazing sense of community. 22 reported dead on SI as of yesterday the number is climbing.
Churches and schools have donation stations, school kids are making sandwiches for workers. Doctors are volunteering in churches to make sure everyone is okay. @sweetpee_1993 I am going to talk to the doctors today about B12 shots. That is a great point you bring up.

Our Councilman has been with us every step of the way!! We are grateful! xoxo

 

[miles1]

Just tuning in from Connecticut after 5 days with no power, phone, heat or water and I feel pretty forturnate after seeing what happened in New York and New Jersey. People in my own neighborhood lost their homes and we're about 25 miles inland from the coast; the pictures from direct coastal areas are heartbreaking.

I do have to say that our public officials are doing everything possible- I think they learned lessons from Katrina and those were driven home by last years' back-to-back hurricaine Irene and blizzard. (Don't like the weather here in New England? Just wait 5 minutes!) I only wish our local utility companies had learned the same lessons. Line crews from out of state are telling people its the worst-managed restoration effort they've seen in their career.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who have expressed sympathy. There are a lot of folks in need here and if anyone is so inclined a donation to the Red Cross would be great.

 

[WDWNooby]

My heart goes out twofold to all of those affected. As well as making my own donation, we had a casual day at work yesterday with all of the donations going to the Red Cross.

I've survived some pretty scary earthquakes growing up in SoCal and have seen how horrible a tornado can be here in the Midwest but it certainly doesn't compare to what is happening back East right now. Do stay strong and know that prayers are going your way.