Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sandy in pictures

The Star Ledger, which only published online yesterday, since its offices were moved three times as they were flooded and lost power, came out with a special paper edition today.  I notice that they never credit the newspaper carriers with the heroism of actually delivering the paper today, so I hereby do.

Clearly the writers had a pent up need for dramatic newspaper pictures and prose,nonetheless, they did a good job of showing readers from other parts of the state what they hadn't been able to know about before.  If you lose power, you don't have television, and many people lost phone service, internet access, and cell service, too.  Handsome Son still has no landline phone service, intermittent cell service, but we have been emailing when I had a wireless signal, which was now and then. He's fine, as is the elderly neighbor he kept an eye on.  And, aside from minor damage to a chimney, so am I.

I notice that the newspaper still carried a sales insert, though!  Sandy can't beat Kohl,I guess.  It's ironic that the people in the teeth of the storm had less information that people on the other side of the globe who were able to see maps and information and pix on television and online.

We are warned to conserve water now, since a lot of the pumping stations are running only on generators, which may lose power before mains are restored.  I will do my bit by failing to do my laundry.  Nearby Princeton is pretty much a war zone, 80 per cent of people with no power, many roads closed with fallen trees and wires, almost no traffic lights at intersections, my friends incommunicado, no phones, no power, no way for us to reach each other.  I just pray they're all okay. Sad news in the paper, an acquaintance killed by a falling tree at his home. 

The newspaper pictures included this one, of the street I drive down to the labyrinth.

I've become acquainted with all the emergency communication sites to try to keep up with local conditions, mainly which roads are closed, which is a lot of them. I noticed a lot of cars passing the end of my street on the road which takes you  from one town to another, and discovered that it's practically the only open one, and I wonder how far they can get before they meet barriers.

Today I don't know how I feel.  Relief from great anxiety, sadness over the losses, gratitude for all the friends and acquaintances making sure I'm okay,  great mix of emotions.  HS is coming for dinner tonight, since our restaurant plans, made before the storm, seem less doable now, and he lives close enough that the roads are safe between there and here.  It will be good to have his company.

5 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your friend, at least you are safe, warm and dry. As you say so much sadness and devastation.

    There are 50 children from my village senior school currently stuck in New York, they are there for a history trip and have been told to stay put. They are due home Friday lets hope they get to see something before then

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  2. One death reported in Toronto where they also experienced, in part, Sandy's fury. A sign was ripped loose and landed upon a woman, killing her instantly. Trees ripped up there, too. No rhyme nor reason for the destruction of a storm, but we saw the satellite images, this was a biggie. Still snowing in Cowtown, looks like we may be in for a long winter. Keep safe, hug HS and enjoy your supper with him. J in Cowtown

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  3. Well there is certainly relief on your behalf on this side of the world. Chin-up. I'm sure communications will be up and running soon. Enjoy dinner.

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  4. Happiness is heat, hot water, light, and all the modern conveniences of life. I'm so happy that our power is back.
    Stay dry and warm, and watch out for fallen trees.

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  5. Thank you so much for your accounts of what life is like right now in your area. The news reports here are showing the same things over and over and they, of course, focus on the worst and not so much on the human spirit that is hanging in despite the difficulties.

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