Who is preparing for Hurricane Sandy, aka "Frankenstorm"?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nukediver

Hi all, thanks so much for your concern. We're fine, although still in the dark. We're being told that power won't come back on until November 5th. I at least have gas and water, which allows me to eat and bathe. The only thing I have lost is the contents of my refrigerator. I am thankful.

---

Glad to hear you're OK. It looked as though telecomm services (if not power) was down over large parts of New Jersey. As NYC near the financial district, here's the picture of Verizon's primary lower Manhattan office that went out with David Pogue's tweet of 2 hours ago, with the comment that it's not surprising that telecomm services are still down there:

I have family in NYC, but in a location that came through without power loss, but a friend's sister lives in the lower Manhattan area near Battery Park, and they'll be without power for a while.

Well, you'll have something to look forward to for Guy Fawkes Day (November 5th). Keep well.

moriond

Oops, forgot to add the picture of Verizon's main lower Manhattan Office:Attachment 2848

This storm is a stark reminder of what could happen to the TampaBay area. It's my choice to live close to the beaches. We are 20ft above sea level.
But I know I could lose everything if the right kind of storm hit our area. A price everyone pays that lives close to sea level.
I spent two days in the summer heat when Charley knocked out power. But at least the house was intact, we could cook on our gas cooktop, and we had running water.
So I really couldn't complain that much after remembering the effects of Andrew.

I feel terrible for the people affected by this storm. It is a terrible shock to be hit with a storm such as this. Especially when most people in the area would never in their wildest dream expect a storm such at this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nukediver

Hi all, thanks so much for your concern. We're fine, although still in the dark. We're being told that power won't come back on until November 5th. I at least have gas and water, which allows me to eat and bathe. The only thing I have lost is the contents of my refrigerator. I am thankful.

---

Thank you for updating us, Nancy. I'm glad you are ok.

So, last night we were sitting in the car, listening to the Hurricane Sandy - Coming Together Benefit. When it ended, and we were walking back into the house, all the lights came on. You could hear the neighbors cheering. What a welcome sight it was. Once inside, we straightened up the mess that we'd inadvertently made while stumbling around with flashlights, put the candles away, and fired up the TV. Two hours later, I was still watching. I kept flipping between the Weather Channel and our local (NY/NJ) news. I know I said it before, but I was stunned by the footage. Places I have known my whole life. Places where I played as a child. Places I hung out as a teenager. Places I vacationed. The weekend of October 20th, I participated in the 2012 NJ Lighthouse Challenge, where the goal was to visit/climb all of NJ's lighthouses along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. This weekend, many of those places are flattened. I cannot wrap my brain around the heartbreaking reality that the ENTIRE Atlantic coast of NJ suffered catastrophic damage.

I was lucky and didn't suffer loss. Some of my friends weren't so lucky. They're having a hard time right now, and I intend to help them however I can. I would hope that anyone reading this would consider helping out as well. There are several obvious ways to do this, most notably through the Red Cross. But since I know many of the TBers are animal lovers, I will suggest a few other options. First, The Humane Society has set up a relief fund; consider making a donation there. Second, there were two aquariums affected by the storm, and while I'm not certain as to their current status, they are most certainly still in need of help.

I know that many, if not all, of these places will be rebuilt. But they will never be the same. We saw some amazing things happen in the wake of this storm. And there will be more amazing things to come. I am heartened by the response so far - especially by those dedicated emergency workers who have also suffered tremendous loss. And also by all the utility companies from as far away as California, Georgia, and Canada, that have come to help us turn the lights back on.

Donations to those truly in need have been coming in fast and furious. The Red Cross Benefit last night continues to generate donations, and the word on the street is that there are lots more planned. This is not a surprise, since so many of our home-grown musicians still call NJ home - Bon Jovi & Bruce Springsteen to name a few.

Even though incredible amounts of progress are being made on the path to recovery, I am certain it will be years before the work is close to being done. One source of information, at least for NJ, that has been invaluable for following updates has been the Facebook page of Jersey Shore Hurricane News. This continues to be a life saving community resource, helping people connect, listing available resources, including scarce operating gas stations (did you hear we're doing the odd-even thing now?), and shining a light on all the good that's being done.

I leave you with this:
http://youtu.be/KDRYa6khJhA

Here's another one to add to the list: WNYC Newsroom: How to Help | Sandy Recovery (shared by Jodi Ettenberg)

For people not in the NYC / Tri-State Area who want to donate, here is a link to list of groups who are assisting in the relief effort, vetted by Charity Navigator.

I work for the Salvation Army during times like these and they went from normal daily operations in the effected area to 1/2 million hot meals a day overnight distributed through out the area.
It is still a drop in the bucket really.

In Joplin we had 11 Canteen trucks deployed and for Sandy relief they have 377 Canteens and 11 Field Kitchens in route so far.

It may not matter exactly where you donate to help but please,Try to Help.

This is going to be a Long Term Recovery Effort and every little bit really will make a difference.

Be Safe and Stay Grateful.

Ed

And now? This.

Attachment 2855

Granted, the forecast keeps changing, with (perhaps) a bit of a swing eastward. But still. Last night, our entire county lost water. As the water company finally went off the generators it had been on for a week and back to full power, *something* happened, the power failed, and BOTH backup generators failed. We lost pressure, got pressure back, and are now under a boil water advisory. This is tiring, and I really have no reason to complain, since we've only been slightly inconvenienced. What I worry about now, particularly since the temps have dropped below freezing at night, are all those folks too scared or stubborn to go to a shelter where it's warm and safe, and where they can find a hot meal and a safe place to rest.

Oh man, Nancy... You'd think you guys would get a break. Keep us posted. We want to know you're doing ok, and I've been looking forward to each update from you.

First, thanks to all for the good wishes. At this point I think it's safe to say we're out of the woods as far as the recent weather. Today is forecast to be sunny and in the upper 50's, with temps climbing into the 60's by Monday. This will go a long way towards helping all the relief workers and utility workers who have been working tirelessly throughout the last 12 days. The recent nor'easter wasn't as horrible as first predicted, although LOTS of people lost power again.

For those of us on the east coast, these past few weeks will not easily be forgotten. Many iconic images have emerged from this disaster, reminding us how fragile life is, and what human folly it often is to live to close to the sea. (The New York Times has a comprehensive set of images from Sandy (and Athena) that are both heart-wrenching and inspiring.)

It will be interesting, as time progresses, to see how we will rebuild the damaged areas along the east coast. Different states have different approaches to this, some arguing that once property is lost, no rebuilding should happen. I can't imagine that being the case in NJ, since so much of our tourism dollars are generated "down the shore".

The immediate response to everything that's happened here in the NY/NJ area has been tremendous and mind-boggling. One of the more amazing stories of generosity involves the outpouring of support for all those EMS/Fire Department men & women along the shore who not only lost a lot of their supplies, but also lost homes and possessions. Check out their story on Facebook, and follow their page, it's been inspiring.

One thing on the minds of many is the long-term response. It is inevitable that another disaster will hit somewhere, taking eyes (and $$ and "boots-on-the-ground") away from this area. But I have faith in the people of NJ - we are, as they've been saying - Jersey Strong.