Hurricane Sandy

[ChrisB]

I'm in Oceanport, NJ, no power yet, but the neighbors across the street got theirs back yesterday. In my immediate area there are a lot of small branches down and a few large ones here and there. There are places near-by that look completely unscathed. When the storm came, I literally "headed for the hills" and went to Vermont. It was just another rainy day there.

 

[Atticus Finch]

In a category 1 storm, the difference between safety and annihilation is often measured in inches. If your property is located six inches above the surge level, you're A-OK. If it is located six inches below the surge level, you suddenly find yourself having been cast back to the stone age.

In a Cat 1, the wind and rain are usually only fodder for the television news crews. But surge is always devastating…

AF

 

[ChrisB]

Regardless of the name, Oceanport is actually 3 miles inland. There are low areas along the Shrewsbury river that are prone to flood, but most of the older parts of town are on higher (and dry) ground. I guess that is how they got to be the older parts of town!

 

[casechopper]

Some photos from Tuesday and Wednesday taken while driving to work.
My front yard

Neighbor across the street (note the tree that fell from one neighbors house across the front of the other).

 

[Auld Edwardian]

Things are still at sixes and sevens here. We are an hour and twenty minutes from my sister and brother in law in West Long Branch and they were told they might be without power for up to ten days, or longer. We thought for sure we would lose power as the eye went right over us, and with all the tall old growth trees around us, we expected that either the house or the power lines would take a pasting, or both. Thankfully neither did. I went to get gas in my wife's car yesterday and the only thing left was premium! The station owner told me people were driving inland, some two to four hours, to find fuel and area stations were running low, or out altogether! I went looking at several stores for a generator for our family at the shore and there were none to be had, and was told even those returned were going out the door as fast as they came in. You could probably not find one east of Harrisburg PA!!!

 

[H.Herdick]

Interesting movie, published by the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. During the hurricane Sandy on bike through NY.

http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/03/kijken-in-manhattan-op-de-fiets-dwars-door-sandy/

 

[ChrisB]

We got our power back this evening here in Oceanport. At the Monmouth Park racetrack, there is an amazing collection of tents and temporary housing for the line crews from as far away as Alabama. My heartfelt thanks to all those who have come from so far to help us.

 

[scottyrocks]

We lost power at about 8 pm Monday, October 29th, and got it back about 3:00 today. I have no 3G mobile device so this is the first time I am posting since then. The last two weeks were quite the local adventure with no power anywhere on the neighborhood. Pitch black everywhere after dark. I made the house as livable as possible, buying a generator off the back of a truck, and then standing on lines to buy gas. Now we are in the rebuilding process as we lost the first floor of the house in a flood, as did many of my neighbors.

My neighborhood is still a sight. We had boats and pilings on people's front lawns. Trees and wires were down everywhere. My parents still have no power since the 29th. My street was flooded up to the fire plug cap. I lost a car to the salt water. My first floor was flooded. We lost everything in it.

I do realize that some faired much worse than I did, and my heart goes out to them. But I have never experienced anything quite like this, where the whole street is a body of water waist deep.

We just finished demolition of the first floor. Rebuilding should start in about a week or so. But at least we have power.

 

[sheeplady]

We lost power at about 8 pm Monday, October 29th, and got it back about 3:00 today. I have no 3G mobile device so this is the first time I am posting since then. The last two weeks were quite the local adventure with no power anywhere on the neighborhood. Pitch black everywhere after dark. I made the house as livable as possible, buying a generator off the back of a truck, and then standing on lines to buy gas. Now we are in the rebuilding process as we lost the first floor of the house in a flood, as did many of my neighbors.

My neighborhood is still a sight. We had boats and pilings on people's front lawns. Trees and wires were down everywhere. My parents still have no power since the 29th. My street was flooded up to the fire plug cap. I lost a car to the salt water. My first floor was flooded. We lost everything in it.

I do realize that some faired much worse than I did, and my heart goes out to them. But I have never experienced anything quite like this, where the whole street is a body of water waist deep.

We just finished demolition of the first floor. Rebuilding should start in about a week or so. But at least we have power.

I'm so sorry Scotty. I'm sorry to hear about everything you have lost. Best wishes as you rebuild- we're all thinking about you. I hope your parents get power soon and that they're doing ok.

 

[scottyrocks]

Thanks, SL. I'm very glad that we have the right insurance for this. Otherwise rebuilding would be just about impossible.