Sandy

I don't usually deviate on this little blog to share day-to-day life happenings, but Sandy was and is far from the daily occurrence.  It would seem bizarre if I didn't mention the Superstorm and the havoc it's wreaked on my beloved town of Hoboken.

Photo Credit Chris Costa via Hoboken Patch 

Mark and I were very lucky throughout the entire storm.  We know that the majority of others around us cannot say the same.  My hubby and I, as well as our physical belongings, remain completely safe and intact.

Video Still from NY-NJPA of Water flooding the Path in Hoboken
Reports say over 5 miles of flooding in the underground tubes

A few things to know about Hoboken...

1)  We are right across the Hudson river from Manhattan, just one subway stop away.  Think of it like Brooklyn but on the New Jersey side.
2)  One of our nicknames is "The Mile Square" because it is approximately 1 mile x 1 mile in area.  We have about 50,000 residents squeezed into our little town.
3)  We have a shared sewer system, which means human "sewage" flows into the exact same pipes that surface runoff and gutters flow into.  When flooding occurs, it is this hazardous mix that backs up.

This shot has become infamous:  Yellow Taxis flooded in Hoboken.  Photo Credit Chris Sykes

Below is a video I made compiling my pics throughout the week.  Keep in mind that my experience and point of view is very mild in comparison to those who have lost all.

Update:  Since I made the video, a new place for donations has surfaced.  
Visit rebuildhoboken.org to directly assist the city.

Eerieness to share...

1)  Creepy PA announcements the Police, Firemen, and National Guardsmen would make from their cars.  They would drive slowly down the street in the pitch black, saying things through the echo of a loudspeaker.  Everyone would come to the window to try and hear what they were saying.
2)  The complete pitch blackness of a city that is always bright.  NYC is normally our nightlight, and they were dark as well.
3)  Alarms going off all around town.  Did you know that when some cars flood, their lights come on, the horn starts to honk, and the trunk pops?  I assume this is a safety feature designed for emergencies but imagine this happening in a domino effect down the street as the water rises.

Flood waters surround a Fire Station Via The Roosevelts

4)  Police and firemen going down the streets in boats.

5)  Bulldozers traversing flood waters with rescued residents riding in the front loader (the scoop thing)!

6)  With no TV, Internet, phones, or radio we were starved for info.  We would see the media broadcasting but never be able to get the report from them.  Friends and family halfway across the country were the ones to update us.  It took city leaders about 4 days to start posting on a white board things like tap water is safe to drink, driving restriction lifted, ferries are running, etc.  I will be buying this or this asap.

Photo Credit Kurt Gardiner via theboken.com

Amazingness to share...

1) Residents who never lost power running extension chords to the street, allowing others to charge their cell phones.
2) Local shops opening up, trusting you to come in total darkness, and letting you pay with cash.  No looting, no chaos, just people getting what they needed.
3) The fact that I never knew anyone who lived in my building and now we are on a first name basis with many people from our entire block.

A car is swallowed as the Hoboken streets become the Hudson River Via The Roosevelts

Continue to keep the East Coast in your prayers.  Many places were completely devastated and are still going through the worst of it.  If you are able, consider donating in any way you can.