Sandy is Gone, but Will Not Be Forgotten

Where do I start?

              First, I want to thank all of you for your good wishes and prayers. We just got our Internet and cable access back and thought I would post some thoughts.


I have many many mixed emotions.

I'm grateful that my family is safe and sound.

I am grateful we still have a home.

Many are not so lucky.

Many have lost everything.

My old stomping ground
         The place where I grew up in New York City looks like a war zone.
                What happened to old friends?
                      What happened to my childhood church?

My stomach churns with dread and utter sadness at the thought.



    Early Monday morning I went to pick up my Mom. The winds had picked up considerably. The hurricane was due at midnight but the winds were already at  Hurricane "Irene" level.

My Mom had changed her mind...she had unpacked her bag and stated she wanted to stay in her own apartment. Now, for anyone out there over the age of 75 please please please...when your children insist that you go with them during an emergency, please GO. It took me nearly 30 minutes of convincing before she finally agreed.

It was a good thing too;  the storm had picked up speed and was going to hit late afternoon instead at around midnight.


The power went out fairly early and thanks to our emergency kit (which consists of a huge Tupperware bin with everything we needed) we felt prepared.

We listened to our battery operated radio, which also works through solar power and has a crank that makes it work too.

I made dinner while wearing a head lamp. I sort of looked like a coal miner.
All the while cringing and stopping what I was doing when the wind made a sound that made the house rattle.

We worried about the trees surrounding our property.  Every now and then I would hear a whooshing sound and later I realized that it was the neighbor's trees that were falling.

                                        


Funny, I always thought that trees would make a cracking sound when felled; a booming resounding vibration would then be the result. Not so. The cracking only came when trees lost a branch.  These trees were pulled and shoved over lifting the roots and shoving them down to the ground.

                                 

All over our neighborhood giant trunked trees fell to the ground like dominoes. The electricity went with them. Sparks in the distance looked like lightening strikes, but when we realized there was no thunder following the strike we knew it was the power lines.


Right smack in the middle of the hurricane there were police cars placing police tape across our street warning drivers of downed wires and trees. God Bless those men and women. God bless all those that were out in that hurricane helping others.

Many coworkers of My husband have lost their homes. One of his bosses is currently living at the job offices.
One has parents who tried to stay. His father, using a pump tried to stop the basement from flooding. When they saw the ocean water rushing quickly down the street towards them they knew that they had lost the fight and they were lucky to get out when they did.

One thing that I have learned is that one cannot be too prepared. And another thing that we have learned is that no matter how prepared you think you are disasters like these will make you feel and know that you are not.  

We learned alot from Hurricane Irene and used that to prepare for Sandy.

Batteries
radio
battery operated lanterns
water
canned foods and dried goods like pasta and rice
blankets (lots and lots)
Matches to light gas stoves
a manual can opener ( we forgot this one)
and don't forget to fill up cars with gas!

                                

This is just one line that we saw. See the BP sign?...well that is not where the line was headed. The BP was out of gas. That Line was for the gas station way down the road from BP gas station. The lines seem to go on forever. Some say lines were a mile long.

                        

The next few days we are going to hang tight and stay close to home. Hubby doesn't have to work and we will try to save the half tank of gas that we have left in the car.

One look at the news and hearing reports on the radio I wonder...



                Will it ever be normal again?
                           Or are more disasters on the horizon?
     
                                   is this the new "normal"?