I am just feeling so very, very badly for the people who have been hit by the very heart of this darned storm. We all discuss being "prepared" for bad weather/extremes/hard times and while most people could be "OK" for a few days -- some of us for a long period of time with self-sufficiency, power on, etc.
The ones in NY, NJ, etc.....even those in the dumped on blizzards and lost power, etc.....they just have almost NO way to recover for a good long time. If you had to look out at contaminated water that was not receding, no transportation (or any where to go!) lack of most communication, and extremely limited access to any where to GET anything -- wow, how depressing is that? Some things we just can't control OR plan for. Some would have been better off to evacuate, of course. But now many are very much in a place none of us want to be and can barely imagine.
When Hurricane Andrew hit and destroyed Homestead, FL, my husb and I had just left that AM -- not realizing there was a storm at hand (grandkids being entertained and we ignored the news!) That night, it hit. The flooding was not like you see in the coastal areas of this one, Sandy, but the devastation was just as complete. We went ther 1 wk later to rebuild some apartment complexes we had there (stayed 12 wks). WOW. No grocery stores, almost no roads you could drive down, no stores to buy any clothes or anything, Red Cross food tents for all -- often only way to eat as the "tent cities" had no cooking. (we had a motor home driven from here in VA) Clean up is unreal, emotions are understandably high and well, it seems never ending. We know it can be a challenge.........and may be a reason that I try to be as "ready" as I can for unexpected disaster.
