Huge Freakin Storm!

[Fubar512 1,350]

Hello and Thank You all for your concern.

 

Power was finally restored to my complex early Friday morning, and my internet/voice/CATV service, just a few hours ago. Cell service here is still sporadic, depending on one's carrier. In my immediate area, for example, my carrier only allows one to place emergency calls (911, etc). However, a mere 15 minutes drive to the west, and I get full 4G LTE service.

 

For me, this storm was nothing more than a major inconvenience. It chased me out of my home for a few days, as my power and heat were both cut off (and Jedi Master, I have gas heat, but it still depends on electricity for ignition and metering). From Wednesday until Friday evening, I actually lived at my place of employment. We had access to food, shower facilities, some internet access (albeit site-restricted) and television.

 

By comparison, it was a catastrophe for some, and deadly for a few. At least three of my friends lost their homes, cars and boats. Luckily, none lost their lives, or any family members, to Sandy's wrath. Their stories were mostly sad, except for one stoic fellow, whom I'll refer to as "Ahab".

 

Ahab's residence was on the barrier Island community of Mantoloking. Below is an aerial view of the area, in the aftermath of the storm. The inlet at the foot of the bridge did not exist before the storm. It was carved out by the storm surge, which literally bulldozed a path through homes and a state highway, allowing the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay to meet where NJ Highway 35 once was.

 

 

 

Ahab's home was just south of the bridge. In his word's "I heeded advice from an old-timer, who had survived Hurricane Donna (in 1960). He told me that in the event of a major hurricane, it was best to leave all the doors and windows on the ground floor wide open, and let the storm surge pass through your home. If you leave them closed, or barricade them, the surge will most likely knock your home right off its foundations, and carry it away. So I did what he said, and my house is still standing, although I have over a foot of sand in places on my ground floor."

 

Ahab had carried all his valuables and some of his furniture up to the second floor before the storm, so they were mostly undamaged. He also stated that during the height of the storm, the surge reached up to the ceiling of his ground floor, and was lapping at the upsatirs landing.

 

Further north, we have been hearing stories of the surge having reached a measured height of 13 feet above the high tide mark, of dead fish being found a half-mile inland, and of rail cars having been wrenched off their tracks, and carried onto the NJ Turnpike.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Fubar512

[Fubar512 1,350]

A montage of post-Sandy images, this is the nearby town of Manasquan, NJ (about 10 miles SE of me).

 

 

http://www.manasquan-nj.com/Sandy-1012/index.html

[+Veltro2k 6,315]

Well yesterday we finally got the power back on.we had 5 feet of water in the basement everything that was down there was lost..winter clothes,,washer ,dryer fridge,ac units, boiler , heater ...moister came up to the first floor ,we had to rip up the floors,,major dammage to the roof, gutters gone, fence destoyed....this is going to take some time.. oh yeah,,forgot the best part...we are expecting another storm today.....

Edited November 7, 2012 by Veltro2k

[JediMaster 451]

The 2nd storm that hit us didn't even let us get the power back before it hit. I believe it was 5-6 days later that a massive thunderstorm front came through and did almost as much damage as Andrew before it since everything was already in tatters and held together with string and gum.

 

I knew a few people who actually lost their homes when the power came back. There was unseen damage and when the power returned their houses caught fire. One was away and his house burned right to the ground and he lost it all because of how long it took the neighbors to notice and call the FD in. The damage you don't see can be worse than the damage you do.

[Fubar512 1,350]

Well, we got hit by another Nor'easter last night, 50 mph winds, sub-freezing temps, and 13 inches of snow in my town. It took my power out, yet again. I awoke to a dark, cold apartment this morning, and waited until daylight to begin digging out (I generally leave for work at 0530). Needless to say, all the local roads were an obstacle course of downed tree limbs and power lines. This was a heavy, wet snow,,,,check out the power lines in the video:

 

DerSchnee.wmv

 

Here's set of before and after aerial images of the New Jersey coast, superimposed over one another. Move your mouse from right to left to view the damage caused by Sandy:

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/hurricane-sandy-before-after-photos/

[JediMaster 451]

I once went to visit some relatives at a beach house on the Jersey shore. I forget exactly where, only went once in the mid-90s. I do remember thinking the house looked it was built from cardboard compared to what I was used to around here. Looks like Sandy treated them like they were.

[Fubar512 1,350]

Actually, building codes in NJ are very stringent, and have been so been since the 1960s. Must of the older beach homes (pre-1960s construction) were built as summer homes , originally intended as inexpensive vacation cottages for working-class families. The fact that several "Mac-Mansions" got washed away, speaks volumes as to the height and strength of the surge. I may have some hereto unseen footage of the storm-surge sweeping through the streets of a coastal town at the height of the storm. According to the person who made the video, the first 4 feet of the surge was more in line with a tide movement, but the last 6-7 feet of it came in like a tsunami wave.

 

Here's a link about another person's ordeal: http://www.dailyreco...ext|NJOPINION02

Edited November 9, 2012 by Fubar512

[+SupGen 78]

First night home at a reasonable hour since the storm hit...I've been dragging a crew of contractors (JM - Gaston's Tree Service from Florida...Gainesville, I think) with a bucket, Prentice log loader, and one of only two cranes (100' Terex) all over Queens removing trees from houses, clearing roads, etc. I've been working for the Forestry Division of NYC Parks and Rec since 1984, Hurricanes Gloria, Hugo, blah, blah, a couple of tornadoes (F1s but still) and I think this is the worst I've ever seen. 12 and 16 hour days for the last nine...never got home Wed. night cause of the snow...Slept (but not died ) with my boots on, LOL. Slow going, and a little stressful telling people they ain't next. Still at the "Thank god you've come" stage, 2 weeks and it'll be "Where the f**k have you been"! The Rockaways look like the pictures Fubar posted, the guy I'm usually on a bucket truck with lives down there, he's O.K. but hasn't been back to work yet. We sent him a care package, tho. Just a little update from the front, I'm glad you guys who got hit are O.K. Oh, by the way, I heard Con-Ed's new slogan is- Con-Ed-We're better than LIPA! Long Island still has 220,000 people with no power and no heat, including some of the guys I work with.

[+Veltro2k 6,315]

We are still out of our house..roof needs to be completely replaced,first floor had to be ripped out,and no hot water or heat..this is going to take some time. Will be glad when we will finally be back home

[+Veltro2k 6,315]

Marking this day on the calendar...we finally have hot water at last...still no heat. And tarp where the top left roof used to be..but hopefully soon getting tired living in this Temp room