Official Hurricane Sandy Recovery Thread v. Uggghhh

[chknptpie]

Seems like all of my family on the east coast escaped without any real issues. Lucky ducks.

It's nice to see some of the happy stories floating around the internet. Pictures of people putting power cords outside their house so people can charge phones. Even heard about this on the radio this morning:

https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/02/cory-booker-cements-his-reputation-as-newarks-super-mayor/

After Hurricane Sandy struck, hundreds of Newark residents sent pleas for help to their mayor — and many of them got a speedy response. In the past few days, Booker made an especially personal gesture when he invited neighbors over to his house to relax, charge their cell phones and watch movies.

[millahh]

Marathon cancelled.

I'm starting to look for non-weekend volunteer opportunities...I'll lose the vacation days, and get in some work at night.  This is too terrible not to join in.

[cramx3]

Gas restrictions start tomorrow at noon. Odd number ending liscense plates can get gas on odd days, even on even. To me, that's not a good sign.  I have 3/4 tank of gas and my car can't run right now so I might have to siphon that gas out.

[orcus116]

Where abouts? NJ only?

[millahh]

It's for the 12 counties that were hardest hit.

[Cecilia]

Still without power.

The power company's website said Wednesday at 11pm we will be getting power back.
Oh, my birthday is on Monday.

[millahh]

Ventured out to Long Island today to give blood...saw lines for gas up to a mile long, at every open gas station.  I heard stories of shots being fired in the gas lines in some neighborhoods.

Not good.

[Scrub206]

I HAVE POWER!!!  Oh man that was a brutal 5 days. I hope everyone else is doing well and staying warm! power should be back on for you all soon! 

[cramx3]

I came back to my apartment yesterday as I spent almost 5 days at my brothers. We still don't have power and the apartment is freezing but it was nice to sleep in my own bed. We cleaned out the freezer and fridge of all the food we couldn't save which really sucks. We managed to get gas in my fiances car and only had to wait 20 minutes which is ready good. My car is fixed and I can pick it up tomorrow. Also I saw pseg scoping out the downed power line right outside my door and our apartment complex told us that they have gotten word from pseg that they will do their best to get power back tonight.  Well see about that cause this downed line is pretty bad. Well be heading to buffalo wild wings to watch the giants game in a bit.

[bout to crash]

Ugh, sorry people are still without power, etc. I'm not sure if my mother has hers back yet. My friends in Hoboken were finally able to get out, then came back a couple days later. Their power went on, they were excited, and then it went off again. Oy!

The line for the Manhattan-Brooklyn shuttle at some point today. Evidently this was block two of a six block line.

I heard it's been really cold there- why not just fucking walk at that point??

[JayOctavarium]

I'm glad y'all are okay. Wish I could say I know what you are going through... but living in Southern Cali... shit like that is completely foreign to me.

[Cecilia]

Our power just turned on!!!

[millahh]

Woohoo!  Beats the hell out of 2-4 weeks!

Spent to morning rounding up everything we could donate, and made collections from a couple of friends...~12 garbage bags worth of clothes, plus several coats.  Stopped off at a grocery store to buy a bunch of canned goods and toiletries, then headed to the donation center for drop-off, and sorted stuff for a few hours.  Seeing thousands upon thousands of bags and boxes coming in and the cars line sup to drop off donations, along with knowing that this was one of many donation points, was wonderful.

[wkiml]

Power finally came back on line last night, still no heat

Kids home from school again....spent a few days driving around passing out water and coffee to all the crews and emergency personel down here on the Shore...its looks like a fucking war zone down here.....

I have my health, no damage to the home ..time to give back to those less fortunate....ANY NJ Forum peeps or SI if your willing to take the ride, my home is open for food/showers/rest just inbox me

[millahh]

What was the person thinking who dropped off a garbage bag full of swimming trunks for emergency relief for a disatser at the onset of winter?!?   

[cramx3]

Tried to drive into work downtown by wall street this morning but didn't realize I wouldn't be able to park as there were trucks everywhere pumping water out of the garages and subways.

[wkiml]

Tried to drive into work downtown by wall street this morning but didn't realize I wouldn't be able to park as there were trucks everywhere pumping water out of the garages and subways.

did they lift the ban on cars carrying less than 3 people ? My train (NJCL) will be out indefinately drove to Cheasquake park and ride and took the bus from there

[ZeppelinDT]

Weird.  Posted in here yesterday but apparently something went wrong.

Anyway... now on day 7 with no power, no heat and no hot water.  This is getting pretty old.  Definitely could be worse though.

For example, my brother lives in Hoboken.  Wednesday (Halloween) was his birthday, but he wasn't even able to leave his building from Monday night through Thursday afternoon.  This was the view from his window:



And I have two friends who live on the south shore of Long Island.  Luckily they rent the second floor of a house, so they escaped any direct damage, but this is the deck that was attached to the first floor in their backyard:



And this is what's left of the house that was two doors down from them:



And apparently my cousin's father-in-law had a house in Long Beach that now just simply doesn't exist.  Just washed away into the ocean.

[wkiml]

i know that those of you who have power have probably seen these already on the news

https://www.app.com/viewint/article/20121031/NJNEWS/121031013/6-stunning-APP-aerial-videos-show-Sandy-s-Shore-damage?odyssey=mod|defcon|img|Frontpage

[ZeppelinDT]

So earlier I was walking down to the local library to charge up stuff and I saw some utility trucks working in my neighborhood, and I was all like , then somebody who lives near me posted on facebook that she got power back, and I was all like , so then I walked home, but when I got to my apartment my power was still off, and I was all like , then like five minutes later I heard a noise and looked up and saw all my lights turn on so I was all like

[cramx3]

Tried to drive into work downtown by wall street this morning but didn't realize I wouldn't be able to park as there were trucks everywhere pumping water out of the garages and subways.

did they lift the ban on cars carrying less than 3 people ? My train (NJCL) will be out indefinately drove to Cheasquake park and ride and took the bus from there

Yes. Holland tunnel is still closed. I used the GW bridge cause the Lincoln was insanely packed.

[millahh]

Apparently the Rockaways are complete anarchy.  No police, national guard, firefighters, or anyone else with official authority.  The guys coming back from delivering relief supplies are talkign of the trucks being swarmed almost as soon as they stop moving.  They can't go there after dark, and don't want to go back without some means of self-defense.  It's a really bad situation.

Also, anyone looking to donate:  At this point, clothes are more a hindrance than a help.  What is really needed is water, non-perishable food that doesn't need to be heated, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and personal hygeine products.

[jingle.boy]

If I wasn't 12 hours away, I would love to donate.

[millahh]

If I wasn't 12 hours away, I would love to donate.

You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10, which will go towards disaster relief.

[cramx3]

Still no power. Its been a week now. Almost everyone has power around me but there is a power line down about 20 feet from my front door so I'm assuming that needs to be fixed before I get power. PSRG has now been here three times to look at the damage but no one has come to fix it.

[wkiml]

I've seen lines of trucks near me all from out of state (Miss/Alabama/Texas even had a caravan from California pass me on the GSP last night) Went out after I got home and handed out hot chocolate and coffee for about an hour

[ZeppelinDT]

Yeah... it's wild.  On Long Island I've seen trucks from Illinois, Michigan, Alabama.  Pretty cool that they're driving this far to help out.

[cramx3]

Yes! Finally got power back.

[DebraKadabra]

 

[eric42434224]

Yeah... it's wild.  On Long Island I've seen trucks from Illinois, Michigan, Alabama.  Pretty cool that they're driving this far to help out.

They are being paid a BUTTLOAD of money to do so.  My brother is a lineman, and they get paid double time pretty much around the clock to travel to storm areas.

[DebraKadabra]

Same thing happened with my Dad - he used to work for Southwestern Bell (before it became SBC) and was loaned out to Miami after Hurricane Andrew.  He made some damn good money while he was there, and he had me to watch his house.

[millahh]

Aaaaannnd now there's two inches of snow on the ground, increasing steadily.

Also, spent 5+ hours in line for gas today.

[ZeppelinDT]

Geez.  That's crazy.  Took me 35 minutes the other night.

[millahh]

Well, it should have only been about 3.5 hours, but I didn't realize it was going to be cash only, and it didn't occur to me to grab a wad of cash when i stumbled out at 6 AM to go find gas.  So I went through two lines.
 

[cramx3]

I thought the gas lines were gone now cause of the rationing.  I didn't have to wait at all yesterday. Certainly sucks to have all this snow now.