I’ll start
my post-Hurricane Sandy blog post by assuring my readers that we weathered the
storm safely at home. Our neighborhood in Brooklyn is in “Zone C,” which the
city designates as an area that would only be evacuated if a category 3 or 4
storm rolled through. Our apartment is located near the geographic center of
Brooklyn, nearly equidistant from all the borough’s waterfronts. So, we’re well
away from the areas that were hit by flooding and the storm surge.
During
the worst of the storm, our power flickered a bit, and it actually went totally
black for a few seconds, only to come back on again. We also lost our Internet
connection briefly, but it also came back up within a few minutes. That was rather
amazing, since we’ve had longer power and Internet outages caused by much
milder thunderstorms. We were extremely lucky, and we know it.
Now
that the storm has passed, our biggest obstacle is our location in Brooklyn’s
geographic center. Many of the subway lines near us haven’t been restored yet
or are only running piecemeal. So, if we wanted to get into Manhattan (where
Jen’s employer is located), we’d either need to take the subway to a bus
transfer point and catch the shuttle into Manhattan or take the subway to a
bridge and walk into Manhattan. Plenty of people are doing exactly that, and I
admire them for it. Fortunately, Jen can work from home and is spared that
process. (The New York Times has a great blog rolling here
with stories about the lines for buses, the impromptu carpooling, and the gas
shortages.)
As that blog shows, this storm has brought out
the best in many New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. Some examples include folks
randomly starting carpools to cross the bridges, a house in Hoboken that ran
extension cords and surge protectors outside so neighbors without power could
recharge cell phones, and the residents of the East Side who helped carry
patients out of NYU’s Langone Medical Center during the storm when its power
and backup power sources failed. Truly, disasters can bring out the best in
people.
Sadly,
though, storms can also bring out the worst. We’ve learned that the death toll
from the city continues to rise, with 38 people killed in NYC’s five boroughs
(as of 5:00 pm on 11/01/12). Most of those deaths were on Staten Island, where
children and the elderly make up a large number of those killed. Many of the
storm’s victims were in the areas that should have been evacuated. We haven’t
heard why the elderly victims weren’t evacuated, but I surmise they may not
have had assistance to leave.
When
I hear about the youngest victims of the storm, I’m filled with both rage and
sorrow. In one case, a 13-year-old girl was found only a short distance from
her home. Her parents ignored the evacuation order because their home didn’t
suffer any effects from Irene in August 2011. In addition, one of their
neighbors said the family came home from the Irene evacuation to find that the
house had been burglarized. So, the girl’s parents decided to ride out the
storm at home. Her mother is in the hospital, while her father is still
missing.
Another
woman lost her two sons, both under the age of four, when their SUV stalled in
the floodwaters. She tried carrying them to safety, but they were pulled away
from her in the storm. They had tried to stay home until water started coming
in, and then attempted to flee during the brunt of the storm.
While
I know it’s probably not fair to second-guess the decisions of these parents
now, I find it hard to resist doing exactly that. I just can’t fathom placing a
child in jeopardy. It’s one thing if an adult wants to make a foolish decision
and suffers the consequences of that choice. But children shouldn’t be placed
in harm’s way because an adult is too stubborn or foolish to evacuate when a
storm is approaching.
Back
to the good from the storm, since that’s where I want to keep my focus. The
storm also brought out some neighborly feeling, even among those of us who were
minimally affected by the storm. The area where Jen and I live has a very large
Hasidic Jewish population, along with a lot of Pakistani and Russian
immigrants. Usually, our Jewish neighbors won’t talk to us since we’re clearly
Gentiles. The other groups also don’t talk to us much for similar reasons. But
following the storm, we were walking around the neighborhood to see how bad the
damage in the area might be. During our walk, the neighbors we encountered asked
how we were. I’m sure we’ll all go back to our usual distance when life returns
to normal, but the storm briefly broke down the barriers between us. I’m grateful
for that.
I’m
sure the coming days and weeks will bring out more stories of both heroism and
heartache from the storm. I don’t want this blog to become nothing but a
recounting of Sandy’s affects on the city; however, I’m sure I’ll discuss it
again when a particularly compelling story catches my eye.
To
all those who weathered the storm and are now in the rebuilding process, my
thoughts and prayers are with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment