Hurricane Sandy (3 Viewers)

[guru_007]

IIRC, pretty much all of Houston has buried power lines, and they barely had power outages even after a big storms like Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008).

incorrectI live in Houston, and am a native Long Islander. I have tons of family and friends in the Northeast. It's understandably a difficult time.

I'll submit to your more personal knowledge, but I still understand that post-major-hurricane power outages in Houston (as opposed to Galveston and other areas closer to water) were both fewer/lesser in (a) number of customers out and (b) average duration. Significantly so, as I understood it.

If you snipped more of my post, you'd see that the issues are more in the size/number of trees in the NE vs Houston.Over 95% of Houston lost power during Hurricane Ikehttp://www.centerpointenergy.com/newsroom/stormcenter/ike/5c554e8abb08c110VgnVCM1000005a1a0d0aRCRD/After 4 days, you can see that still more than 1/2 of the city was without power....and after a week, still over a million customers without power. And there was a massive effort from multiple states to get power back on. I saw convoys of power truck from all over the U.S. it was much appreciated.It's just the Northeast has like 10x the population of Houston. It's huge. It's going to take awhile to get all power up and running.

 

[NYCelt]

IIRC, pretty much all of Houston has buried power lines, and they barely had power outages even after a big storms like Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008).

incorrectI live in Houston, and am a native Long Islander. I have tons of family and friends in the Northeast. It's understandably a difficult time.I believe there are a number of massive issues leading to the problems that the NE is having after this storm. For one, the population mass alone between NJ/NY/LI and CT is huge. And in a very dense space.Further, just the trees are different. In Houston, we have taller and leaner trees whilst the NE has huge trees that are difficult to move/cut up and create much more damage to power lines, streets, houses, etc.... than tall pines do.I feel for all the people posting in here, I really do, it's got to be totally frustrating. But, there is a lot of work to be done. I know everyone wants to be the first back up with power....and sometimes you get lucky...but sometimes you don't. And I can only imagine it being a logistical nightmare getting gas to the stations. I'm honestly not sure why every one is in such dire need of gas. My house was without electricity for nearly a week after Ike. Yes, it sucked. There were gas shortages here too, and maxes put on how much gas you could buy. I just stayed around my neighborhood for a week. I didn't need gas so direly that I would wait in line for hours. If I found a gas station with a short line, I topped off. I'm not sure subterranean lines are a feasible economic option. This was a storm that happens once maybe a lifetime. Good luck to all affected. I've read so many stories that break my heart.

Was is thirty degrees at night when you lost you power?? They need the gas to heat their homes and go work.

 

[guru_007]

Was is thirty degrees at night when you lost you power?? They need the gas to heat their homes and go work.

That's fair, and I do feel for you all. Believe me, I have many family and friends that have been horribly effected. I am praying it gets better sooner rather than later for you all.

 

[comfortably numb]

Civilization...hello.I'm back at work today. Still no power at home (Flemington NJ area). It appears that literally every neighborhood around us has power. Given that if you take a right out of our cul-de-sac, you run into about 3 trees tangled in a few wires and broken poles, I'm guessing we may be one of the "some" referred to when they say "For most, power will be back by Wednesday, for some, it may be next week." Needless to say, this is really starting to wear on me. The wife and I have been staying at friends for a few nights, but it doesn't really help my sanity much. I'd honestly rather be in my own house in the dark. We have a small (1000W) generator that is enough to power the fridge, and the TV if we want it. It's been a cycle of going from friends to home to power up the generator and run the fridge, etc, and make a fire for long enough that the house stays tolerable. Basically, once this deep freeze hits, I think the fish may have to bite the dust. I had a great birthday last week with no power. We haven't had too much issue with gas...but I have to drive like 1:30 to work now as the friends are in the wrong direction. If I can't get gas tomorrow, I can't come in on Wednesday.I've never seen anything like this in my life. We drove by one of the power crew "camps," and it was lit up like a state fair with tents and all sorts of stuff. But I have yet to see a single truck down my road.

I work is Hillsborough. If there is anything I can help with just let me know.

Thanks. Much appreciated. How's the gas situation down there? Tomorrow is my day to fill up. I drive from Flemington up to Madison for work, and I don't drive by many stations. If Hillsborough has gas without much issue, it may be worth my while to go down that way and then cut back up to Flemington.

Haven't noticed any lines on 206, but i get in usually at 6.Will pay more attention to see if places are not busy, or if they are closed when I head home tonight.

 

[shadyridr]

yeah Im starting to see people say only 20 minute waits for gas in Jersey & Staten Island. I finally need to get some today

 

[Sammy3469]

yeah Im starting to see people say only 20 minute waits for gas in Jersey & Staten Island. I finally need to get some today

FWIW on Sat and Sun the 2 stations on 9W in Fort Lee didn't have bad lines (under .1 of a mile).

 

[Doug B]

If you snipped more of my post, you'd see that the issues are more in the size/number of trees in the NE vs Houston.

Over 95% of Houston lost power during Hurricane Ike

http://www.centerpoi...005a1a0d0aRCRD/

After 4 days, you can see that still more than 1/2 of the city was without power....and after a week, still over a million customers without power. And there was a massive effort from multiple states to get power back on. I saw convoys of power truck from all over the U.S. it was much appreciated.

Thanks for the specific data. Looks like I was wrong about Houston, at least within the city limits.Let me ask, though: was there a largish area near Houston that more or less avoided lengthy power outages (i.e. less than 48 hours)? Maybe some of the northern and western suburbs such as Spring, The Woodlands, or Sugarland? The reason I ask is because I was following a hurricane-hunter thread elsewhere before and during Ike, and there were folks posting who self-identified as being from "Houston" that reported no loss of power**. Several of us New Orleanians wondered how they made out so well, and they posted it was because "Houston's power lines are underground".

EDIT: I meant "... reported no loss of power or brief loss of power".

 

[jamny]

yeah Im starting to see people say only 20 minute waits for gas in Jersey & Staten Island. I finally need to get some today

FWIW on Sat and Sun the 2 stations on 9W in Fort Lee didn't have bad lines (under .1 of a mile).

Just drove around a bit here in Queens and didn't see one gas station with fewer than about 100 cars. It's the worst I've seen so far. I have just over half a tank so I'll hold off a bit.

 

[NYCelt]

There is no gas in west central Nassau. None. I drove around for almost an hour today and only one station was pumping gas and the line looked three hours long. Miles of cars and close to 100 on foot. Still mo power. Talked to a customer rep at lipa and gave them my address they said they hope to dispatj someone out on wednesday. Brutal. As a nor Easter is coming on wed and I am afraid this will stop crews from working. Now they are saying thy have run out of poles so if you have a downed pole you are out of luck. It got to 34 degrees last night and will be colder every night this week. The days are cold now too. They don't notify you about school until five pm the night before. I am concerned about my nanny who is 70 years old. Her and her husband have been holed up in thief house since Monday with no power and no heat. I thought they went to PA but they didn't. They haven't been able to charge their phone I guess but she was in front of my house today crying. They are cold and sick. I have them sitting in my buddies basement to warm up and I took all the kids to the library. I am scared for them. They haven't slept much and are acting a bit off as you could imagine.

I have not slept more than a few hours since last Monday. Everyone walking around like zombies. My wife full out does not want to live here anymore. After the snow two years ago Irene her getting stuck on a lirr train during a storm and this she wants to move back to the homeland. She has had it. I now have to have a serious conversation about leaving this country. In a place right now I thought I would never be in. I have worked two jobs since I graduated college to gt us to this point and then you look around. For this??

 

[culdeus]

If you snipped more of my post, you'd see that the issues are more in the size/number of trees in the NE vs Houston.

Over 95% of Houston lost power during Hurricane Ike

http://www.centerpoi...005a1a0d0aRCRD/

After 4 days, you can see that still more than 1/2 of the city was without power....and after a week, still over a million customers without power. And there was a massive effort from multiple states to get power back on. I saw convoys of power truck from all over the U.S. it was much appreciated.

Thanks for the specific data. Looks like I was wrong about Houston, at least within the city limits.Let me ask, though: was there a largish area near Houston that more or less avoided lengthy power outages (i.e. less than 48 hours)? Maybe some of the northern and western suburbs such as Spring, The Woodlands, or Sugarland? The reason I ask is because I was following a hurricane-hunter thread elsewhere before and during Ike, and there were folks posting who self-identified as being from "Houston" that reported no loss of power**. Several of us New Orleanians wondered how they made out so well, and they posted it was because "Houston's power lines are underground".

EDIT: I meant "... reported no loss of power or brief loss of power".

The woodlands got ####ed up bad. Where did you get the idea they didn't? They probably all had 2nd and 3rd homes to go to, however.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Surprised there has been no mention of Occupy Sandy.

While I'm not a fan of the Occupy movement in general, they were better organized and helped out more people in certain areas than the Red Cross, OEM or FEMA.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

When the power went out at my house around 4pm on Monday, we packed up some stuff and drove over to my wife's parents' house in the next town over just before the storm really got bad. Their power went out around 8pm on Monday, but they have a small wood-burning stove so we could at least stay warm. The power is still out at both of our houses. Judging by the power lines laying all over the street near my in-laws' house and the lack of power trucks anywhere in sight, they're not getting power back any time soon. I'm hoping that my house will have power at some point soon but the neighborhood rumors are that we're looking at Friday restoration at the earliest. I hate to complain because other than the power outage and a few small holes in the roof caused by falling branches, we're fine. Many people are much much worse off than we are - this has mostly been an incovenience for us, that's all. But a week of no power, with no end in sight, does start to wear on your patience anyway. So far we haven't needed to wait for gas (no generator, and we haven't been driving anywhere) but at some point that will begin to be a concern if the power continues to be off. I did commute into the office today and it's good to at least be able to see other people, get on the internet for a bit, feel connected to the world again. Hope everyone out there is doing well.

You don't have to swim thru 3 feet of water in your living room to say that you have suffered or are suffering. I'm sorry buddy, that sounds terrible and it upsets your life. You simply want life to be before Sandy, you'd give anything for that right now, it sux. Take a vacation and come down to Florida for a week until they get stuff straightened out. If you have the means, might not be doable but this is a good time to get out of dodge for a bit. Lot of places, doesn't have to be Florida.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

Surprised there has been no mention of Occupy Sandy.

While I'm not a fan of the Occupy movement in general, they were better organized and helped out more people in certain areas than the Red Cross, OEM or FEMA.

I talked to my sister last weekend (she lives somewhere north of 200th street in Washington Heights and wasn't affected) and she mentioned the same thing. The network of people that they built using social media during their own "event" allowed them to quickly mobilize where needed after the storm.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Surprised there has been no mention of Occupy Sandy.

While I'm not a fan of the Occupy movement in general, they were better organized and helped out more people in certain areas than the Red Cross, OEM or FEMA.

I talked to my sister last weekend (she lives somewhere north of 200th street in Washington Heights and wasn't affected) and she mentioned the same thing. The network of people that they built using social media during their own "event" allowed them to quickly mobilize where needed after the storm.

This is probably the most focused thing they have done yet. That is why I say I wasn't a fan - they were too inclusive IMO, and whatever message they were trying to formulate got lost in the chaos having such divergent groups under the same umbrella.

 

[Doug B]

The woodlands got ####ed up bad. Where did you get the idea they didn't? They probably all had 2nd and 3rd homes to go to, however.

I was just asking/guessing about The Woodlands.What I wondering, specifically: did any areas in the wider Houston metro area (out as far as Sealy, Hempstead, Magnolia, Conroe) get off lightly regarding the Hurricane Ike power outages?

The reason I was wondering that: I was following a hurricane-hunter thread elsewhere before and during Ike, and there were folks posting who self-identified as being from "Houston" that reported either brief or no power outage. Several of us New Orleanians wondered how they made out so well, and they posted it was because "Houston's power lines are underground".

IOW -- purported "Houstonians" were telling us the Ike outages -- by where they lived -- were not severe at all. For all I know, they could have been out in College Station or something. Maybe they were just lucky.

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

A friend of a friend putting these shirts together, 100% of proceeds go to Sandy victims:

http://www.glassyclothing.com/shop/come-together/

Get some!

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Anyone else getting tired of all the Sandy-related email marketing? "We want you to know that we're here at Vanguard to help you during these trying times, call an advisor..." "Here at Dunkin Donuts, we support the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Come in today for a Pumpkin Latte..." etc etc. I'm getting so much of this crap that it's drowning out the useful emails I want to read.

 

[culdeus]

The woodlands got ####ed up bad. Where did you get the idea they didn't? They probably all had 2nd and 3rd homes to go to, however.

I was just asking/guessing about The Woodlands.What I wondering, specifically: did any areas in the wider Houston metro area (out as far as Sealy, Hempstead, Magnolia, Conroe) get off lightly regarding the Hurricane Ike power outages?

The reason I was wondering that: I was following a hurricane-hunter thread elsewhere before and during Ike, and there were folks posting who self-identified as being from "Houston" that reported either brief or no power outage. Several of us New Orleanians wondered how they made out so well, and they posted it was because "Houston's power lines are underground".

IOW -- purported "Houstonians" were telling us the Ike outages -- by where they lived -- were not severe at all. For all I know, they could have been out in College Station or something. Maybe they were just lucky.

The only area with underground lines is in and around the hospital district in WestU. Like NOLA/FL most people in this area are used to hurricanes and bug out and go back when the power is re-connected. The perception that the power was quicker/slower is skewed. It seems tons of people still have just decided to wait it out for whatever reason in ny/nj because they are not used to the speed it takes to correct massive issues on a per capita basis.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I have been working with the city (Queens borough in particular and North Jersey municipalities) as it involves military support (active duty Marine engineers, Air Force transporters, strong arms and backs, etc) and it has been a mixed bag. The state of New Jersey has been much easier to work with than the state of New York thus far. Some issues currently with sending in non-civil engineering units to Staten Island because of the Title 10 restrictions (active duty), all we do is ask lawyers what the code says so we don't break federal law as it pertains to a military action on domestic soil. I know common sense dictates that you just rush support in but this is the kind of bs that holds stuff up. Basically trying to get an active duty non- engineering unit onto Staten Island to assist with debris clean-up (Marines out there today pumping water out).

Folks in New Jersey have been great though and the Queens Borough officials also have been very proactive and resourceful. Manhattan, Staten Island and the State of New York not as much so far but everyone is trying.

ETA: And I'm doing very little, wasn't trying to say I was. Just helping people connect mostly, doing some politicking. I've worked with NYC city officials a lot the past two years and I find them to be awesome in every sense. Much easier than working with the feds.

 

[Apple Jack]

A pumpkin latte sounds freaking awesome right about now.

 

[Koya]

I have been working with the city (Queens borough in particular and North Jersey municipalities) as it involves military support (active duty Marine engineers, Air Force transporters, strong arms and backs, etc) and it has been a mixed bag. The state of New Jersey has been much easier to work with than the state of New York thus far. Some issues currently with sending in non-civil engineering units to Staten Island because of the Title 10 restrictions (active duty), all we do is ask lawyers what the code says so we don't break federal law as it pertains to a military action on domestic soil. I know common sense dictates that you just rush support in but this is the kind of bs that holds stuff up. Basically trying to get an active duty non- engineering unit onto Staten Island to assist with debris clean-up (Marines out there today pumping water out).Folks in New Jersey have been great though and the Queens Borough officials also have been very proactive and resourceful. Manhattan, Staten Island and the State of New York not as much so far but everyone is trying.

Curious about the difference between NY and NJ... from your vantage point, is there a more complex bureaucratic maze in NY? Perhaps different levels of Gov't? I mean, you have State, City, County/Borough, and that's just NYC. Here in Nassau you basically have the County Exec and then a ton of small individual muni's, some that cede everything to the County, some that don't.Is there a different in the make up of the bureaucratic that you see, or could it just be that NYC is a monster unto itself and puts a whole new level of crap to wade through?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I have been working with the city (Queens borough in particular and North Jersey municipalities) as it involves military support (active duty Marine engineers, Air Force transporters, strong arms and backs, etc) and it has been a mixed bag. The state of New Jersey has been much easier to work with than the state of New York thus far. Some issues currently with sending in non-civil engineering units to Staten Island because of the Title 10 restrictions (active duty), all we do is ask lawyers what the code says so we don't break federal law as it pertains to a military action on domestic soil. I know common sense dictates that you just rush support in but this is the kind of bs that holds stuff up. Basically trying to get an active duty non- engineering unit onto Staten Island to assist with debris clean-up (Marines out there today pumping water out).Folks in New Jersey have been great though and the Queens Borough officials also have been very proactive and resourceful. Manhattan, Staten Island and the State of New York not as much so far but everyone is trying.

Curious about the difference between NY and NJ... from your vantage point, is there a more complex bureaucratic maze in NY? Perhaps different levels of Gov't? I mean, you have State, City, County/Borough, and that's just NYC. Here in Nassau you basically have the County Exec and then a ton of small individual muni's, some that cede everything to the County, some that don't.Is there a different in the make up of the bureaucratic that you see, or could it just be that NYC is a monster unto itself and puts a whole new level of crap to wade through?

Squeaky wheel gets the grease and that wheel IMO has been Queens. North Jersey doesn't have many layers and it seems the state has torn down some of the red tape and decentralized logistics (haven't dealt with coastal NJ but I know some who have and they are good to go). Seems to me NYC, though exceptionally organized, is still having the political indifference among the boroughs and maybe Staten Island is a bit less organized or prepared for chaos. But it was the most impacted of the boroughs it seems and moving on and off an island gets tricky. The State of New York has a lot of Guard and Reserves so they prefer to go that route if possible. Thing is the active duty components that have responded are better prepared logistically to accomplish some of the recovery. But far be it from me to tell that to the State, working directly with the boroughs is always the way to go with NYC if you can swing it.

 

[Doug B]

The only area with underground lines is in and around the hospital district in WestU. Like NOLA/FL most people in this area are used to hurricanes and bug out and go back when the power is re-connected. The perception that the power was quicker/slower is skewed. It seems tons of people still have just decided to wait it out for whatever reason in ny/nj because they are not used to the speed it takes to correct massive issues on a per capita basis.

Okay ... I went back and looked over those posts I was talking about. The "Houston has power!" posts are there, all right, but must be heavily caveated:1) There wasn't as many such posts as I had remembered. For every one Houstonian that posted they had power, several posted that they were out.

2) It kind of makes sense, in retrospect, that those that had power were posting to the Internet disproportionately to that that lost power. Ike was before smart phones really took off, so practically no phone posts.

Anyway, here are the posts I dug up. Lots of selective memory on my part:

Katy, TX

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1358355-post1200.html

Katy, TX (same person), "never lost power"

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1368115-post1260.html

Webster, TX

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1358641-post1208.html

Houston, TX

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1364981-post1246.html

Houston, TX (same person as above), power back within 60 hours

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1367498-post1258.html

"off of 290 and Barker Cypress"

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1367457-post1257.html

Houston, TX, "3 and a half days without power"

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1371422-post1272.html

Houston, TX, power back 10 p.m. three days after landfall

http://saintsreport.com/forums/1372670-post1273.html

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I just hope this storm that's hitting us on Wednesday is gentle.

 

[Koya]

I just hope this storm that's hitting us on Wednesday is gentle.

From your lips...Even for those of us relatively unscathed, this has been a complete test of patience, and I can't say much will be left if it's another night boiling water until bedtime to keep the place warm while fighting for gas likes its ###### Mad Max's Thunderdome out there.

 

[NYCelt]

http://mobile.newsday.com/inf/infomo;JSESSIONID=9D98335889CF0BD98247.3266?site=newsday&view=top_stories_item&feed:a=newsday_1min&feed:c=topstories&feed:i=1.4188048

This outage map is the source of a lot of frustration. Lipa keeps referring everyone to it and it is extremely inaccurate. Ugh

 

[The Big Guy]

I am happy to see this recent update by my town, but I am trying so hard to hold back a ton of jokes at the same time:

Just got word that AOL will be at Brick Township High School on Tuesday from 8am-4pm distributing $200,000 worth of goods and materials. These include batteries, candles, water, blankets, dried foods, canned foods, flashlights, cleaners, personal products, new clothing, boots, etc...teachers will also be delivering goods to students that they know have been affected.

So much good being done...so many jokes at the same time..trying so hard to hold back...

 

[pittstownkiller]

A pumpkin latte sounds freaking awesome right about now.

Good job Jack, on lightening the mood!

 

[jamny]

Just found out that a guy in my FBB league lost his house to the fire on Breezy.

 

[=Smackdown=]

Finally seeing more gas stations open in the Bellmore, Merrick & Wantagh area.

Also service trucks from Texas are all over my block helping out those without power across the street. People with downed power lines in their backyards seem to take longer to fix

 

[Gawain]

Finally seeing more gas stations open in the Bellmore, Merrick & Wantagh area.Also service trucks from Texas are all over my block helping out those without power across the street. People with downed power lines in their backyards seem to take longer to fix

Oceanside is still a teenage wasteland. No power, polling place changed, no gas, roving gangs of looters. Stay safe out there.

 

[El Floppo]

I'm hoping you guys are back up and running soon.

Manhattan was pretty much back to normal today, although longer than usual commutes and still a fair number of buildings near the water without water,power,anything. Floppo Jr was back in school- in a flooded area (Zone A), but wihtout any apparent damage and with heat.

I keep thinking how lucky I was in the EVil to just be slightly inconvenienced rather than ####ed by Sandy.

 

[Usual21]

The people kicking ### in my neck of the woods are the lineman from Alabama Power. Got trucks working all over Central Jersey and getting #### DONE.

Speaking of Central Jersey, there's gas stations all with gas in Edison, NJ. Very short lines since there's about 8 stations within half mile of each other. Just drove up to the Hess on Amboy Ave and there was a 3 car wait.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Sorry about the delay, guys. Obamama does not answer my calls.

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

A story from an FB friend:

I called my grandparents this morning to check in and see how they’re doing after the storm. They’re still without power, but staying put and sounding positive as usual.Despite the luxuries they've become accustomed to having over the years, they’re able to tough out the inconvenience of a power outage without complaint. They simply layer up their clothes, collect river water to refill the toilets and use the burners on the kitchen stove to warm their hands. And even though the electricity has been out, my grandfather’s done enough writing by the fireplace in the past 5 days to keep his comic strip going for another 300!When asked how he's able to live in a cold, dark house for a week and still be so happy, he said simply because it reminds him of his childhood. He grew up in Missouri during the depression in a house with a coal furnace that his father had to refill every day. During the winter, the coals ran out while they slept and he would wake up every morning freezing. As his father brought more coal to the basement, he would stand by the radiator waiting for the heat to come on (when the black smoke came out, he knew the heat was on its way). They didn’t have an indoor bathroom, so he had to trek out to an outhouse and only had the opportunity to bathe once a week in a basin in the backyard. "Mother" would fill the basin with hot water and each of the children would take turns, oldest to youngest, so his sister Marilou would always end up with the coldest water. He also mentioned that the valley below their house flooded every spring and occasionally washed neighbors’ houses away. It became routine for his brother to run down and help people evacuate to safety. Compared to these childhood experiences, a simple power outage is nothing.Why am I sharing this? Not only because it put this past week in a different perspective for me, but also because I got to hear stories I had never heard before. Everybody, please do yourself the favor of talking to your parents and grandparents. I guarantee there are some great stories you've never heard before and they won't be around forever to tell them!

 

[shadyridr]

The people kicking ### in my neck of the woods are the lineman from Alabama Power. Got trucks working all over Central Jersey and getting #### DONE.Speaking of Central Jersey, there's gas stations all with gas in Edison, NJ. Very short lines since there's about 8 stations within half mile of each other. Just drove up to the Hess on Amboy Ave and there was a 3 car wait.

shortnlines in Perth Amboy too. thanks for the tip

 

[Smack Tripper]

There is no gas in west central Nassau. None. I drove around for almost an hour today and only one station was pumping gas and the line looked three hours long. Miles of cars and close to 100 on foot. Still mo power. Talked to a customer rep at lipa and gave them my address they said they hope to dispatj someone out on wednesday. Brutal. As a nor Easter is coming on wed and I am afraid this will stop crews from working. Now they are saying thy have run out of poles so if you have a downed pole you are out of luck. It got to 34 degrees last night and will be colder every night this week. The days are cold now too. They don't notify you about school until five pm the night before. I am concerned about my nanny who is 70 years old. Her and her husband have been holed up in thief house since Monday with no power and no heat. I thought they went to PA but they didn't. They haven't been able to charge their phone I guess but she was in front of my house today crying. They are cold and sick. I have them sitting in my buddies basement to warm up and I took all the kids to the library. I am scared for them. They haven't slept much and are acting a bit off as you could imagine. I have not slept more than a few hours since last Monday. Everyone walking around like zombies. My wife full out does not want to live here anymore. After the snow two years ago Irene her getting stuck on a lirr train during a storm and this she wants to move back to the homeland. She has had it. I now have to have a serious conversation about leaving this country. In a place right now I thought I would never be in. I have worked two jobs since I graduated college to gt us to this point and then you look around. For this??

Where is she from? Ireland?I'm truly so sorry you're dealing. I'm in the midst of a busy work week but if there is anything of comfort I could offer, I'd be willing to get it out to you Celt. As bad as this moment is, it is just that, a moment, in the grand scheme. Keep your head above water, stay strong for your kids and do whatever you want when you're alone, cry scream, mope. I know I had a "blow off the world and shut it out" moment last Friday night, my chick ended up having one of her own today. Everyone is pushed to the edge, through their personal experience and through absorbing and soaking this in. I think we're all going to have 9/11-ish levels of Post traumatic stress disorder after this. Unless you live north of 42nd street in Manhattan, your life has revolved around this in some form since it went down, be it the gas situation, lack of power, harder communtes, property damage. Its a lot and its ok to feel it (not to go too Oprah on you). I will say this, and not that Jersey is shangri-la, and this might not be the moment but regarding your life wanting to move, I don't know how you Nassau guys do it. Property tax through the roof with not the greatest return on your dollar with high utility rates. I'm always ok with paying for things if I get something in return. What are your exhorbitant rates getting you? How is Long Island any more shrouded with trees or disruption than Jersey? I think the county is corrupt and LIPA is inept. Unless you have deep, deep roots there, and a job dependent upon Nassau, maybe the thing to do is get out while the kids are young. Praying for you my man, hope you get the juice soon for your kids sake.

 

[3C's]

I just hope this storm that's hitting us on Wednesday is gentle.

latest short range models show it out to sea.

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

Victoria Secret to the rescue!

http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/victorias-secret-rescue-lingerie-giant-helped-superstorm-sandy-190500953.html

 

[NYCelt]

There is no gas in west central Nassau. None. I drove around for almost an hour today and only one station was pumping gas and the line looked three hours long. Miles of cars and close to 100 on foot. Still mo power. Talked to a customer rep at lipa and gave them my address they said they hope to dispatj someone out on wednesday. Brutal. As a nor Easter is coming on wed and I am afraid this will stop crews from working. Now they are saying thy have run out of poles so if you have a downed pole you are out of luck. It got to 34 degrees last night and will be colder every night this week. The days are cold now too. They don't notify you about school until five pm the night before. I am concerned about my nanny who is 70 years old. Her and her husband have been holed up in thief house since Monday with no power and no heat. I thought they went to PA but they didn't. They haven't been able to charge their phone I guess but she was in front of my house today crying. They are cold and sick. I have them sitting in my buddies basement to warm up and I took all the kids to the library. I am scared for them. They haven't slept much and are acting a bit off as you could imagine. I have not slept more than a few hours since last Monday. Everyone walking around like zombies. My wife full out does not want to live here anymore. After the snow two years ago Irene her getting stuck on a lirr train during a storm and this she wants to move back to the homeland. She has had it. I now have to have a serious conversation about leaving this country. In a place right now I thought I would never be in. I have worked two jobs since I graduated college to gt us to this point and then you look around. For this??

Where is she from? Ireland?I'm truly so sorry you're dealing. I'm in the midst of a busy work week but if there is anything of comfort I could offer, I'd be willing to get it out to you Celt. As bad as this moment is, it is just that, a moment, in the grand scheme. Keep your head above water, stay strong for your kids and do whatever you want when you're alone, cry scream, mope. I know I had a "blow off the world and shut it out" moment last Friday night, my chick ended up having one of her own today. Everyone is pushed to the edge, through their personal experience and through absorbing and soaking this in. I think we're all going to have 9/11-ish levels of Post traumatic stress disorder after this. Unless you live north of 42nd street in Manhattan, your life has revolved around this in some form since it went down, be it the gas situation, lack of power, harder communtes, property damage. Its a lot and its ok to feel it (not to go too Oprah on you). I will say this, and not that Jersey is shangri-la, and this might not be the moment but regarding your life wanting to move, I don't know how you Nassau guys do it. Property tax through the roof with not the greatest return on your dollar with high utility rates. I'm always ok with paying for things if I get something in return. What are your exhorbitant rates getting you? How is Long Island any more shrouded with trees or disruption than Jersey? I think the county is corrupt and LIPA is inept. Unless you have deep, deep roots there, and a job dependent upon Nassau, maybe the thing to do is get out while the kids are young. Praying for you my man, hope you get the juice soon for your kids sake.

Thanks for the kind words. For us it is basically here or Ireland. If we move from here we will have no family or friends nearby. Aleast over there we have her entire family which is a big number.

 

[glock]

One generator down and we managed to score another one. Obtained a boat load of gas/cans from a pal of mine and managed to fire up generator #2! YES! Lights, heat- even cable wi-fi! Wooo-wooo!...



Took my propane heater and 50' extension cord next door to offer them up Pay It Forward style, but got no answer to my knocking. Given that it was almost 10:00 they had apparently turned in for the night. When I got home I noticed that the generator was slipping off the 1x6 used to maintain level, so I commenced with adjusting it...

>QUEUE SOUND OF NEEDLE SLIDING ACROSS RECORD!<

...and it sputtered and died.



Tried until my back was in jeopardy and my arm was ready to fall off to no avail. It was low on oil- it took a 1/2 quart, tried some more but no go... Soooo, back downstairs we went with my Mr Heater. THANK GOD my neighbors were asleep. Had they taken my Mr Heater?? I don't know WHAT I woulda done. Methinks it's time to surrender my Man Card... :heavysigh:

 

[BigJohn]

Anyone heard from Arizona Ron? Brigantine is letting residents back in as of about an hour ago, apparently.

I was able to make contact with my Brother in law, cousin and his family are still MIA.We're all assuming they're ok, just with out power/phone.

Has there been any news?

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

One generator down and we managed to score another one. Obtained a boat load of gas/cans from a pal of mine and managed to fire up generator #2! YES! Lights, heat- even cable wi-fi! Wooo-wooo!...Took my propane heater and 50' extension cord next door to offer them up Pay It Forward style, but got no answer to my knocking. Given that it was almost 10:00 they had apparently turned in for the night. When I got home I noticed that the generator was slipping off the 1x6 used to maintain level, so I commenced with adjusting it...>QUEUE SOUND OF NEEDLE SLIDING ACROSS RECORD!<...and it sputtered and died. Tried until my back was in jeopardy and my arm was ready to fall off to no avail. It was low on oil- it took a 1/2 quart, tried some more but no go... Soooo, back downstairs we went with my Mr Heater. THANK GOD my neighbors were asleep. Had they taken my Mr Heater?? I don't know WHAT I woulda done. Methinks it's time to surrender my Man Card... :heavysigh:

hang in there man, get that genny fixed!

 

[NYCelt]

This continues to get worse. On Sunday LIPA assured our village that all customers here will have power by wed nite. Yesterday they said "should". Now they are "hoping". This afternoon they basically said all bets are off because of the nor eastern tomorrow night. This is day 9. I cam see us sitting here on day 12 with no Cunene or update. On the lipa outage map 2323 customers in my village had no power. Now it is 2520?!?

 

[BassNBrew]

This continues to get worse. On Sunday LIPA assured our village that all customers here will have power by wed nite. Yesterday they said "should". Now they are "hoping". This afternoon they basically said all bets are off because of the nor eastern tomorrow night. This is day 9. I cam see us sitting here on day 12 with no Cunene or update. On the lipa outage map 2323 customers in my village had no power. Now it is 2520?!?

Damn dude. Hang in there.

 

[Gawain]

This continues to get worse. On Sunday LIPA assured our village that all customers here will have power by wed nite. Yesterday they said "should". Now they are "hoping". This afternoon they basically said all bets are off because of the nor eastern tomorrow night. This is day 9. I cam see us sitting here on day 12 with no Cunene or update. On the lipa outage map 2323 customers in my village had no power. Now it is 2520?!?

LIPA has been a disgrace. Our entire town is still out of power on the south shore.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Updated Map of Subway Service

The R train East River tunnel still has not opened, and the 1 train station at South Ferry is a mess. But overall, pretty good job by the MTA. Oh, and the L train? Sorry, hipsters.

 

[BobbyLayne]

LIPA and the situation out on the Island is a disgrace. Our Controller lives in Valley Stream and they told her there's not even a trouble ticket open for her block yet (e.g., it's not even in the queue). Could be several more weeks. Her house was 31 degrees today. She has gas so there is hot water and her cooktop works, but the three kids are at the grandparents (in another part of Five Towns). Problem is school starts back up tomorrow. Gas lines out there have been two to five hours.

Another guy I work with (same one who was on W 33rd Street at the time of the ESB shooting) took yesterday off to go out to LBI and take pictures and videos of his parents summer beach house for an insurance claim. He showed me today, and it's a war zone out there (and most other barrier islands).

In our neighborhood (Hell's Kitchen) we've organized two relief drives for the Rockaways; sent a van out today. We have another drive/delivery scheduled for Staten Island Thursday. It's not much in light of how many are going through terrible times, but every little bit helps.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Holland Tunnel re-opened this morning.

 

[comfortably numb]

Holland Tunnel re-opened this morning.

Hopefully not a "Grand opening...Grand closing" with new storm coming :(