Day in the Life: Days During Hurricane Sandy

Thursday, October 25, 2012: I was walking down 34th Street with my friend Marty, headed to Penn Station. We had enjoyed the afternoon at Photo District News' Photo Plus Expo at the Javits Center. My mother-in-law called me to tell me she heard about a storm that was predicted to hit the NE coast over the weekend.

Friday, October 26, 2012: Michael and I attended Photo Plus Expo together and I bought rain boots to have during the potential flooding in the upcoming week.

Saturday, October 27, 2012: I tuned into the news and heard the subways could be shut down Sunday evening at 7:00pm. I went to Target and everyone was buying water and toilet paper. I went to a grocery store and all the grocery carts were gone except one. That's when I felt that slight desperate feeling that things could get bad. I bought some bread, water, lunchmeat, fruit, candy for Halloween and a few other items. I knew we had batteries and candles if we lost power.

Sunday, October 28, 2012: I stayed home all day. All the news stations were reporting that Hurricane Sandy was decreasing in pressure and could be huge. I learned about the three zones and that we were in zone C. Michael and I helped our landlord trim trees and clear out brush and leaves. The wind was getting stronger throughout the day. I learned that the subways would officially be shutting down and I probably wasn't going to work the next morning.

Monday, October 29, 2012: I stayed home all day. Spoke to family members and assured them we were safe. Learned that the storm was moving really slow and wasn't getting weaker. Michael and I discussed plans of action and what to do if we were flooded. The wind was terribly strong. It was uncomfortable standing outside. The bursts of wind and mist stung my face. We lost power around 6:30pm. Out came the candles and radio. We heard a loud crash at 8:00pm. The neighbor's tree had fallen onto their home, crushing the roof and back porch, and ripping up the chain link fence the roots had grown into. The wind was powerful, I think 70mph, but I am not sure. Our neighbor gave us an extra candle and we gave them our spare radio. We stayed up late listening to reports on the radio and watching the sky glow with bright flashes - transformers blowing up.

Morning after the storm. Our neighbor's tree fell on their house

Tuesday, October 30, 2012: I stayed home all day. The wind was calm. Michael and I walked around the neighborhood to see the damage and saw trees and power lines down. Neighbors were sweeping the streets and cutting fallen trees. We walked the dogs. We listened to reports on the radio. My heart sank hearing about New Jersey and everything else. It was hard not being able to actually see anything, only listen to reports. I heard power may not be restored for 7-10 days. I knew the food in our fridge would spoil without ice. And we didn't have enough supplies for 7-10 days! We decided to eat all of our perishables in the next few meals.

One of the many trees in our neighborhood that had to be lifted off electric lines and cleared for traffic

Wednesday, October 31, 2012: We walked the dogs and assessed a safe route to drive out of the neighborhood to buy more supplies. No traffic lights were working and 50% of the drivers were still driving like New Yorkers--speeding and thinking they're the only ones on the road. We found an area that had power and bought gas to have a full tank. We went to five or six places to buy ice and no one had any. Finally we found a shop that was going to get a shipment in an hour. We came back and bought the last two bags. They looked like they had been split from one bag. We paid $2.99 for each. We bought canned meat, ramen noodles and extra batteries. Good thing I am an experienced camper!

Charging phones in lower Manhattan

Thursday, November 1, 2012: We made steak for breakfast. It was going to go bad. We walked 1.5 miles to the nearest train that was running. We met up with a friend and explored lower Manhattan. It was a ghost town, empty streets, closed up shops. A few places had generators and people were powering up their phones and electronics. We walked for hours. We went to Battery Park and could see where the water came up and pushed the plants over. The water was calm. The bus we took to Grand Central became packed at the second stop. People were frustrated. It was not comfortable. At Grand Central, all the lights were on, and people were charging their electronics. I met a 24-yr-old woman who lost her home in Brooklyn. She showed me pictures. She was wearing her friends clothes because all hers were damaged. Her eyes welled up telling me her story. Mine did too. Michael and I took the subway home. Half of the 1.5 mile walk home from the station was in complete darkness. It was erie. We made it home safe.

Friday, November 2, 2012: The melting ice in the freezer and refrigerator started leaking out. I threw it out and dumped all the food. I knew the milk would be sour, but I smelled it anyway. Yep, it was bad. Came to a cafe to get online and connect with the world. Finally seeing photos and videos of the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Very grateful that I only lost power and a week's worth of work. The last week has been nothing like I thought it would be, but I'm glad it's over. Next week will be better.