davef
10-31-2012, 02:36 PM
Just a few moments ago, I was able to have a brief conversation with my mother before cell phone service was cut off again. This was my first contact with her since the storm was approaching.
My mother lives about 20 miles from the Jersey shore, as do my sister and her 2 young children and my brother. My sister actually lives a few hundred feet from the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan. Thankfully they are safe; plenty of damage though and are still without power, gas and running water and have been told it might be 4-5 more days until everything is restored.
I can’t believe the devastation... At my mother’s home, she has 2 inches of water in the basement and it is rising quickly as the sump pump has stopped working because backup batteries have lost their power. She lost 6 large trees in the yard and a neighbor’s home is badly damaged because a large oak tree crashed though the roof. Much of her neighborhood is cut-off as another large tree has fallen across one of the roads and has yet to be removed. I used to spend my summers at places like Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Ocean City and my personal favorite, Long Beach Island. These popular shore destinations are in ruin, friends have sent me pictures and it really does look like a warzone.
I feel blessed to be on the West Coast right now and our East Coast friends and family need our help. I do not think our fragile economy can handle this so it is up to us. I have just sent a nice donation through the Red Cross.
For those of you who are able to help, please do. https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002
Thanks to all of you for being such a wonderful community!
My mother lives about 20 miles from the Jersey shore, as do my sister and her 2 young children and my brother. My sister actually lives a few hundred feet from the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan. Thankfully they are safe; plenty of damage though and are still without power, gas and running water and have been told it might be 4-5 more days until everything is restored.
I can’t believe the devastation... At my mother’s home, she has 2 inches of water in the basement and it is rising quickly as the sump pump has stopped working because backup batteries have lost their power. She lost 6 large trees in the yard and a neighbor’s home is badly damaged because a large oak tree crashed though the roof. Much of her neighborhood is cut-off as another large tree has fallen across one of the roads and has yet to be removed. I used to spend my summers at places like Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Ocean City and my personal favorite, Long Beach Island. These popular shore destinations are in ruin, friends have sent me pictures and it really does look like a warzone.
I feel blessed to be on the West Coast right now and our East Coast friends and family need our help. I do not think our fragile economy can handle this so it is up to us. I have just sent a nice donation through the Red Cross.
For those of you who are able to help, please do. https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002
Thanks to all of you for being such a wonderful community!