This is me today. Managing some breakfast before my day gets busy.
52 weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy hit NYC. I was living in downtown Manhattan and was without power for 4 days. We had bought non-perishables and water in preparation, thinking we wouldn't need it. But...we did.
A year ago, this is the pic I took. People were buying everything...
We lost power around 8pm on a Monday. The next morning, people were still in good humor - not freaking out yet that there was no phone, no internet, no Facebook, no heat. That didn't last for long. But for the most part, New Yorkers were ok.
There was one random deli on 26th and 6th that had a generator and was serving hot coffee and food and had a place to charge your cellphones.
Oh...and along our walk in Chelsea, the day after.... @snaphappy1 and I saw Ethan Hawke in our neighborhood lol.
Lower manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and Queens and Long Island got hit pretty bad. Hoboken, NJ too. This was how it looked on the Hoboken side a few days after Sandy did her thing:
I remember that day. I was looking at FB photos of friends that live there. It's just unbelievable what the city has gone through, and yet the people remain strong as ever. Have a great day. Hope it isn't too hectic for you.
Living in Westchester at the time and assumed the worst. We lived in a vulnerable area for flooding and especially tree damage. Our electricla wires dangled across the street normally, and we often experienced issues when it was only windy. Super Storm Sandy would certainly deal us a mighty blow!...Well, we did not even experience a flicker of the lights. Apparently our little section of the street (that's how isolated) was spared. We maintained all of our power. The surrounding area was dealt the hit we expected. Gas lines snaked down blocks and streets a mile long for several days. Power was out and supplies and patience grew short. When the Nor'easter hit, we lost power for several hours only. All in all, we were most fortunate.
@paulie the funny thing is...north of 33rd street in Manhattan was a whole different world. People hadn't lost power uptown. And those that were lucky did not experience Sandy the way others did. Subways were totally fucked too. Some people lost everything. What was scary the night of the storm was listening to the howling wind and thinking some tall building was gonna collapse. In my neighborhood, a facade of a building completely blew off...
@adamj you were lucky. I remember we had just gotten out power back in our apartment. Our heat came back a few days later. When the nor'easter hit I just about had had it. I kinda just broke down and cried. It was hard to be without the normal comforts and no electricity and have to go to work and put your bullshit aside to help and counsel others. I was so emotionally exhausted. The nor'easter was the icing on that shitcake.
@fauxtography365 I hear you. I helped out where/when I could. Honestly, the only thing that makes me crazy when there is a power outage is the lack of indoor climate control. Be it the A/C or the Heat.
Ohhh Sandy...That was just a bad time in my life in general and the storm did not help. The night before it hit I was staying in a hotel by work because we knew it was going to be bad. I worked about 14 hours that next day and then anywhere between 12-16 every day for the next couple of weeks. I stayed in the hotel again the night of the storm, which turned into a party at the hotel bar until 2am and having to get to work by 6am. Not the best idea! Lol. I was out of power for about 5 days I think and then lost it again during the noreaster, which is when I officially lost my mind. Haha. Thankfully there was no damage or flooding to my home or my immediate area. In the end, I was lucky. I hope we never have to witness anything like it again.
I was worried about my daughter that lives in Brooklyn, I think there was a day that went by that I didn't hear from her. She came through it just fine. They briefly lost power but nothing serious. Nice shot of the nails by the way. Have a good week.
@islandk8 I hope we don't either. I remember they had to cancel the Greenwich Village Halloween parade (which I was grateful for) and the NYC marathon. Sucked about the marathon but having lived there at that time, I was also glad they didn't have the city full of marathoners what with everything else going on.)
@thirdjoe ha it pleases me you noticed the nails lol :). Glad your daughter made it out ok. Some people in Brooklyn were not. If you ever visit the east coast, let me know!!
@fauxtography365 I am planning to visit my daughter in the early spring most likely. Would really like to meet you. I will let you know when my plans are set.
And my experience was so different on the UWS. Sandy seemed like just another rainstorm here. Not much damage--branches fell. We never lost power. The husband was put up in a hotel in midtown that night. I remember being happy about that because I ordered in food he's not crazy about--pernil con mofongo. Funny how I remember that!
@mcmary what a memory! My friends and family who lived in upper Manhattan or the unaffected areas in the boroughs didn't seem to be as inconvenienced. It was like a city divided lol.
I was in at work preparing equipment and waiting for trees to fall, Went home after the worst had past, then the next day went in and worked about 30 hrs straight and didn't get a day off for about 2 weeks.
This time last year I was going from room to room with a flash light trying to figure out which room would be the safest to sit. Glad I had stocked up on candles and batteries. Frightened for my friend whose last post on FB before the electric went out freaked me out, about water coming under her door, she lives about 5 miles from me.
What a freaking shit show the next few weeks were. Will never forgive that idiot Cuomo for how he handled LI after the storm. The south shore of LI is still not back to "normal" a year later.
@baznman man...that must've sucked! I remember making a drive up the northeast coast a few weeks after Sandy. Husband and I were in VT and there were so many downed trees...
What was I doing a year ago? Watching CNN in disbelief, having such strong empathy with New Yorkers...and wondering how much would have been restored before my trip to NY which took place in July this year!
(...strong pictures, the ones in your instagram links...)
Your nails are so beautifully manicured today, with your being able to take time for a hot breakfast . . . it's hard to imagine a year ago what your life was like. Thanks for sharing your story . . .
Me, a year ago? I was on a plane (as always!), heading to Japan!
October 30th, 2013
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What a freaking shit show the next few weeks were. Will never forgive that idiot Cuomo for how he handled LI after the storm. The south shore of LI is still not back to "normal" a year later.
What was I doing a year ago? Watching CNN in disbelief, having such strong empathy with New Yorkers...and wondering how much would have been restored before my trip to NY which took place in July this year!
(...strong pictures, the ones in your instagram links...)
Me, a year ago? I was on a plane (as always!), heading to Japan!