Super Storm Sandy…

It is now 12pm on Wed Oct 31, 2012 Halloween.  Halloween is cancelled for now.  We lost power Monday at 1pm.  We have been running the generator on and off trying to save gas.  I have been running Aunt Ginny’s refrigerator as well as ours.   Max our neighbor came over and asked if he could hook up his frig.  Even though I know it is a drain on the generator running a cord that far, I let him because he has gas.  All the stations are closed around here and we don’t know when we are going to be able to pick some more up. 

Rachel and Aiden have been staying with us.  Rachel is at work right now.  Their generators stopped working yesterday and she is cataloging and throwing out all the refrigerated food.  They are open today for cash only non-perishable items only.  We used all our cash up buying gas already.

As of right now, Rachel can’t get to her house.  They said that her town of Silverton has been cut off.  Her neighbor called to tell her that they got 3 feet of water in their house and they aren’t letting anyone back in yet.  I hear there is a forty foot boat in the roadway.   Several houses have burned to the ground a few miles from her because the roads have been blocked and the fire department could not get to the houses on fire.

26% of the cell towers have been knocked down.  The phone use has been sporadic here.  I have no problem calling Ed.  Rachel tried calling her brother Steven in VA and kept getting someone in Texas because the lines have been getting crossed.  We have no internet at this time. 

Rachel drove me around yesterday just to look at what damage has been done in town here.    I saw a lot of damaged and was able to walk down some roads to take pictures.  They shut the whole grid down because of all the wires down.  To me it doesn’t seem to be as bad as the storm we had last time.  As far as our town goes we lost a lot more with the last storm just because most of the weak trees had already come down.

Ed and I had a company out to give us an estimate on solar panels the other day.  We could really use them right about now.  They are definitely something we will look more into in the future. 

Ed’s complex is right on the water and in an area that got hit worse than us.  He has two buildings that have to be gutted because of the water damage.  Their boilers for their heat are in the crawl spaces that have been flooded.  They are sending crews up from Maryland to help them out.  From what he says they are sending a gas truck for them and a dozen generators and pumps. 

I have been listening to the NJ radio station for updates on what is going on.  I have to keep turning it off because of all the asinine people that call in to complain about not having electricity.  Their whining is driving me crazy.  Why do people bitch and complain when they could have done something to be more prepared for this storm.  I have no patience for stupid people that can’t help themselves.  I understand people like Aunt Ginny, that have to rely on others but there are many people here that think they are more important than other people and their selfishness drives me insane.  

It now 10:30 pm.  Rachel just made it back to the house.  They got the roads open and let them in her development until dark.  She left her house about 5:30 and just got in now.  She waited over an hour and half in line for gas for the generator.  Any gas station that is open has huge lines.  She said they found a shark in the road by her house.  She took a couple of pictures of the 40 foot boat that is sitting in the street.

It’s Thursday now 1:30 pm.  Sammy is here to entertain the kids.  The kids really needed someone else to play with and I needed the break.  There are only so many times you can play Candy land and Chutes and Ladders.  Rose went out to help Rachel at the house.  She brought home a couple bags of clothes that are soaking wet.  I ran a line through our back yard to hang up some of her stuff to dry. 

 

It’s now Friday Nov 2^nd 10am.  Rachel headed back to her house to do some more cleaning.  I offered to go but she doesn’t think the kids should be in the house.   She had people she doesn’t even know help her clean out the house.  People came by and brought them pizza.  There are some really wonderful people out there helping.  There are some really shitty people out there too.   I haven’t left the house since Tuesday and that was just to drive around town here.    I didn’t go very far because I am the keeper of the generator.  I’m trying to conserve as much gas as I can.  The lines are so long around here and that’s when you can find an open gas station.  Most places are only taking cash and the banks around here are closed.  It is currently costing us about $37-$40 a day to run this thing.

 Last night I was able to finally get the Internet on Rachel’s phone and saw some of the pictures of the shore.  Places that we have been recently are just gone.   It’s just so sad. 

I just beat my sons butt in Stratego. 

It’s about 2:00.  I just got to talk to my nephew Lou.  He made it through the storm OK, but he can’t find his kids and his ex.  Their house is gone.  The last he heard they had gone to a shelter when they had to evacuate.  The shelter had to evacuate also and they had been moved.  He does not know where.  I feel so bad for him.  

Its Saturday 8:43 am I see trucks going past all day and night but yet we still don’t have power.  It really doesn’t bother me.  I miss the Internet more than anything.    I got to check the local news feed this morning while Rachel was here.   She went back to the house today to see if she can get the rest of her stuff out.    Ed went to work today.  Last night he said they have to replace the whole electrical service for a building.  Out of all the properties this company owns his got hit the worse.   The residents don’t understand that they have to lock up the generators at night so they don’t have hot water.  Ed tried to hire an off duty police officer for security at night but they are all busy.   Today starts the gas rationing.  We are only allowed to get gas on odd numbered days.   Most of the gas stations are limiting you to fill two portable tanks only with cash.   As far as I can tell they haven’t stated the rationing in Ocean County.  They have also declared Marshals Law in the worst hit areas.  You now need ID to get into certain areas.  I saw pictures of Sea Girt yesterday.  The place looks like a war zone. 

I saw quite a few military helicopters going by this morning.  I hear they are bringing in help.  There is more going overhead now.  I really don’t like the sound of them it freaks me out.  The kids have been out of school all week.  I am going to try and get them outside today to burn off some steam.  I said that yesterday but I’m so afraid to leave the generator going while I’m gone. 

It’s now noon.  We just got back from playing at the school.   I turned the generator off while we were out.  I just couldn’t leave it on.  Just as we had gotten close to crossing Barkalow Ave there were fire trucks and Police pulling up.  The transformer caught on fire and the pole started to burn in front of Ann Marie’s house.  They had just gotten the power back on the day before yesterday and it’s out again. 

It’s now 2:46 and everything is very quiet.  Well, not the kids but everything outside.    I haven’t heard and military helicopters or sirens in a few hours.  It’s very odd.  We have been hearing sirens nonstop all morning and then silence.  I really do feel like I’m in a war zone and waiting for something to happen. 

I forgot to mention that yesterday Aiden asked if his mommy was in heaven.   He has been talking to her a few times a day at the beginning of the week but her phone stopped working a he hasn’t spoken to her in two days.

It Sunday November 4th.  We got power back this morning.  All is quiet here except for the helicopters going back and forth over head.  All the houses around us got power back last night but there was something wrong with a ground wire.  They found the problem early this morning.  I am so happy to have Internet and heat.  I could live without everything else.  Samantha stayed the night last night because our house is warmer than most.  She has the kids down in the playroom, entertaining them.  I'm working on cleaning most of Rachel's clothes.  Ed has gone into work today to continue the clean up he said he is only staying until they run out of gas.  Their gas truck won't be arriving until tomorrow.  They had to remove 18 families out of the apartments because of the repairs.  They only have hot water as long at the generators are running and no heat. 
 I'm still trying to find out if the kids have school tomorrow.  Some schools are going back.  Some are expected to be closed the next week as well.