Hurricane Sandy in the northeast

Thanks to all who got in touch to express their concerns. Fortunately I'm one of the very lucky ones.

There currently is no real gas shortage on Long Island, but people are still paniced which leads them to the gas lines. We're on odd/even rationing and gas stations that have power are being requested to extend their hours to cut down on the lines, mostly to help get people out of the panic mode. I spoke with a friend who lives up on the canals in Freeport. They lucked out (sort of). He had about 2' of water flowing through his downstairs.

This storm was truly odd. Several people around this area contact me for forecasts when storms are coming since, with my own life and livelihood on the line, I'm not satisfied being right less than half the time like the TV guys. As I watched this storm come up the coast all of the computer models except one had it heading out to sea after passing Hatteras which is normal. It even had a low pressure system coming in from the west to give it an extra nudge. But there was a high pressure system to the north that kept that low from sliding north and it wasn't strong enough to overpower Sandy. Instead it sucked her in. Till that point I refused to give into the hype from the TV guys. They just love creating news, panicing people and spoiling their fun, but when I saw that shift I immediately checked its time table and the high tide times. Sandy was going to put Long Island and NYC on her N/E side and come in right about on the full moon high tide. I started making calls telling friends on the coast that it was time to get out.

To the best of my kowledge I don't think any major hurricane has ever taken this tract. They either go out to sea after Hatteras or cross eastern Long Island is did Gloria, and the 1938 hurricane (worst one to ever hit the N/E till now), and a bunch more. Like Floridians, we on the east end are used to having a hurricane cause us problems every few years.
The people in Western Nassau, NYC and northern NJ just joined a club they'd have rather not been invited to, joining Homested Florida, New Orleans and a few other famous members. Being New Yorkers they're reacting to this a bit like they do a blizzard, expecting life to be back to normal in a few days and getting really ticked off that it's not. Plus as everyone knows New Yorkers aren't exactly known for our patience. We invented the NY minute which is about 35 seconds. So there'll be grumbling and griping, but New Yorkers are survivors. They'll rebuild and do it better than ever.

I want to extend my personal thanks to President Obama who stepped right up to the challenge in a way no president ever did in these circumstances before, Gov. Chris Christie who put politics aside and thought only of his citizens, Cuomo & Bloomberg, and the list goes on. When I saw utility crews from California and Collorado driving around Long Island within days of this event I was amazed. It takes 4 days to drive from California. Then I rememberd seeing those C130s on the news loading the trucks and crews. Big, Big thanks to those flight crews and the utility crews. I have a couple of friends that work for National Grid and they're working 16 hour days with no end in sight. As bad as this disaster is, it has also shown what's so great about this country. Its people. We are just so good at coming together to help each other when the need arises. We also learn our lessons and get better at responding each time. Biggest thanks though go to all the people from all around the country and the world who are praying and expressing their concern. Unless you been through something horrible you just can't understand how uplifting it is to hear that someone cares and you're not alone.

If there is one lesson that must be taken away from this I think it's that we just have to get better at tracking the weather, and it's not the job of TV weather people to create news. They try to keep everybody in a perpetual state of panic all the time. The result is that they're not taken seriously when something like this rolls in. The job of the news and weather people is to report it, not to create it or sensationalize it for ratings. They should not be considered entertainment. Walter Cronkite and Tex Antoine please come back and teach these pretty faces how to do their jobs.

Hello all,

Been out of touch since FLIBS/NBAA, responding to Sandy and her aftermath in the NY area. Can't truly explain how devastating this was on entire communities, towns, counties, et al. As Ed said, this was an odd storm. Damage was not exclusive to the wind, and there really was not enough rain to flood anything. The surge is what caused the flooding. With a hurricane/superstorm churning up the east coast, a hundred or so miles offshore, the right side of the storm created such fetch that it pushed the water into northern NJ, NY Harbor, Staten Island and all across the south shore of Long Island. Barrier Islands such as Fire Island, Long Beach Island and Rockaway Island were washed over, with the "ocean meeting the bay" everywhere. Every building, condo, store, etc sustained flooding in at least the basements and first floors (some second stories were flooded). The water did receed in a few hours, so cleanup started immediately, sans electricity for lighting and warmth (oh yeah, there was a nor'easter a few days after, go figure).

I'm saddened to see the island where I grew us was battered to this level. But, it was not beaten. People have come together to help one another. Companies like mine sent in teams to help those with services we take for granted on any given day. Electrical teams came in from across the US and even Quebec to help untwist the tangled wires and check on salt-infused breaker boxes and the such. Can't turn on the juice with salt on the wires.

And people continue to help one another. They must. FEMA cannot solve or fix everything. People, neighbors, friends, whom ever need and have stepped up to assist. It's great to see, but unfortunate that it took an event like this for the best in people to shine.

Want to help out? Send socks and gloves to organizations collecting clothing. There are enough sweatshirts and pants here to choke a horse. But when a little girl came up to my trailer today, her mother pleading for a dry pair of socks for her cold feet, you have to turn away so they don't see you cry because you know her feet hurt from being exposed to the fall chill and rain. You want to help, but know you can't solve all of these problems. But if we all pitch in a little, we can recover from these events better, faster. And not have a child be cold for another night, without power, perhaps without hope for tomorrow.

There are hundreds of stories out there, and more images than you can look at in a lifetime. I'll share my pics so you can get a little sense to how bad this storm was. Recovery will take a long time. Time has a new marker: pre-Sandy and Post-Sandy.

Images are from Island Park, NY on the south shore of Nassau County, Long Island, where the surge from the bay forcefully sent boats from there blocks and docks at local marinas into peoples homes...

Boats tossed around a marina in Freeport, NY

Long Beach boardwalk all but destroyed. Ocean flooding left a foot or more of sand in the streets of Long Beach, NY that had to be plowed away.

Water lines are evident on this car. Autos with condensation on the inside of windows is telltale sign of flooding. Wouldn't buy a used car in NY/NJ for a while.

Command Center at City Hall, Long Beach.

Not a pretty view but very useful when you can't flush your toilet.

National Guard getting ready for their nightly patrols in curfew areas.

Fire personnel and assets came from all over NY and NJ.

My company with one of their many satellite/disaster assets assisting the community with phone charging, internet access and phone calls.

NY Governor Cuomo giving a press conference from Long Beach. About 30 minutes before he showed, a dozen guys came to the area to cleanup all the debris and trash. Street sweeper even cleaned the street. Next time, let him see the real disaster, all of it (okay, getting off my soapbox).

Help came in many different sizes from many resources...

U.S. Air Force handled the heavy gear while...

...The U.S. Navy had helos based from an aircraft carrier offshore of Long Island.

Damaged homes near Long Beach, NY.

Debris from flooded homes mixed in with cars strewn across streets from the water's force.

In Far Rockaway, people donated so much that bags of clothes were left in a lot that people picked from.

The sand is from Rockaway beach, and the wood from the famous...

...Rockway Boarwalk that used to sit atop of these concrete pilings.


More to come...

Thank you Capt Tom for the photos and the narrative.

As a resident of Long Beach I am truly saddened by the destruction of this storm. Unfortunately, we went to FL for the FLIBS and were stuck there by the time they were predicting this a major NE event. We are fortunate in only losing a few cars and personal belongings. Many others have lost so much more.

ALL,

RT here checking in from the South Shore of Long Island.

This was a bad one.

My waterfront community was flooded and damaged worse than anyone can remember. Long Island got hammered on this one.

No power for 10-12 Plus days.

Boats are everywhere....

Oddly, boats in the water seemed to do better than boats on land, which i understand is unusual.

My 46 Post made it with out a scratch, thanks to be best marina on the Great South Bay. I pulled it for the storm.

If anybody wants a referral PM me. The marina and manager worked around the clock for almost 5 days and didnt loose a single boat. The marina must be slightly higher than the surrounding marinas becuse many area marinas had boats float off their blocks.

I have a 22 ft bay boat that would have floated away with the trailer if i did not anchor it in my front yard. The boat and trailer swung on the hook and was 20 ft from where i left it.

Regards.
RT

Tom, thanks for the great pics.

My armchair Monday morning quarterback observation is that the boats pulled and on stands generally were set up for the normal winter haul out, not a hurricane. Stands not chained together, no anchored tie downs if below the forecasted surge, etc. Some places, the pulled boats did much better, others, not. Depends on so many things, such as height of poles on a floating dock. And of course, basic hurricane preparation regardless of location. Obviously, there were many places where there was, in retrospect, nothing you could do. You could have the best secured boat possible up on the hill, but if an entire other marina or two come washing up against you...

Was back up in New York last week helping the recovery in the Rockaways. Did tour around a little to better understand the enormity of the event. As the media pull back from their reporting, and first responders start to head home, there should be no one who thinks that this is over. The short-term relief goes on, and the long-term recovery will be a long and arduous road ahead. Many people are still hurting, and so much more as we head into the holidays, with cheer being hard to come by. If you can head to NY/NJ to assist, by all means do it. If not, donations to your favorite charity would be great. I can't tell you how many American Red Cross vehicles I saw, mostly staffed by volunteers, offering hot meals to those without, and distributing supplies.
Best way for me to share the experience is through photos, so let's have at it.

Piles of debris are popping up in parks and parking lots.

Amongst the debris and damage, American flags are flying

One man's trash is another man's treasure. But were to redeem?

Around the streets in Far Rockaway.

Row of stores that burned during the flood.

Have to imagine the force of the water rolled this car.

CVS set up a temporary pharmacy. Good going.

This guy can use some good insurance.

Able to help the community with some of our gear. Here's a disaster trailer where we were not only charging phones but making sandwiches and giving out food and clothes.

Truck contains 24 kiosks with laptop, phone and charging station for public to access. Many used to apply for FEMA claims. Able to call anywhere in the world thanks to the sat link.

Insurance companies set up claims offices and the banks had mobile ATM's.

FEMA outreach location on Beach Channel Drive.

Coordinated with the MTA bus guys to move our charging station from the exposed tent to the bus which also acted like a heating station (it was a cold day). Great collaboration between public and private entities.

It must have been scary, not knowing if you would drown in the rising water or bite it from the fires. Here are some images from Belle Harbor, NY.

A few more fire scenes. And this is not even the 100+ homes that burned down in Breezy Point.

Over in Freeport, Long Island, NY, inside Jones Inlet, destruction was evident on the Nautical Mile.

Restaurant burned out.

Iconic eatery The Schooner at the foot of the Mile was demolished, with buckled floor, smashed windows and missing docks among other things.

Fishing boat doesn't belong here.

Chris Craft on her bottom at dealer.

Back in the Rockaways, the sand belongs on the beach, not the roads, sidewalks, basements.

The boardwalk was wiped out as was the sand. Temporary dunes were set to keep the ocean out of the neighborhoods.

Boardwalk missing in the other direction too.

Patriotism abounds. Mother Nature may have bruised, but did not beat.

Gapping hole in the basement of this home.

If I may. I don't get tired of responding to disasters, that's my job. I get tired of seeing the pain in people, the hurt, the despair. I'm on location, knowing that I can go home. These people had less than they had last week, now maybe nothing at all. I wish there was more I could do.
Dealing with situations like this is draining, physically and emotionally. But if I, my team and my company can make a difference, then I will be there. You need to be there too. And you were, with donations of food, clothing and money. Don't stop. And certainly don't forget.
Even though the Thansgiving holiday is not celebrated in all the countries of our YF members, it's good for all to be thankful.
God Bless America!

There are no comments that can express anything better than you already have. I switched from AT&T to Verizon recently and am now glad I did. Your photos and heartfelt commentary should win you awards - I'm sure it already has with the big Guy in the Sky. Thank you so much.

Judy

Judy,
I could use all the help with the Big Guy in the Sky (making up for my terrible teen years).
I really posted the photos of Verizon to show that the private sector is a very strong commodity with many resources, and can be instrumental in recovery processes. If more companies stepped up to either help communities, first responders or even their own employees, we can get through these disasters faster, and hopefully with less impact. It's also important for the public and private sectors to work together, before the next disaster, so we can manage expectations better and work side by side. I'm proud to work for a company that goes to great lengths to help citizens, responders and even customers of other carriers. At our trailers, we don't turn anyone down.
Let's see who steps up next time. Because there will be a next time.
Oh yeah, Judy, thanks for coming over.