Mother Nature is the most unpredictable entity we live with on this earth and although we heard over and over on the news how Hurricane Sandy would be the storm of the century, you always wish for the weatherman to be wrong. What was the eye of a hurricane hit Atlantic City, NJ last night around 8pm and continued to move west directly into a Nor’easter, resulting in what is now called Superstorm Sandy.
[source]
Shortly after landfall we lost power in our Chelsea residence in New York City, experiencing high winds and lots of rain. I couldn’t believe the 6 feet of water outside our apartment. We woke up to streets filled with debris, windy streets and darkness but are now safe and stable on our boat, Utopia III, where there is power. I am grateful for smartphones and the ability they gave us to stay in contact with our family last night through Superstorm Sandy; Twitter was an incredible resource for information.
Superstorm Sandy has taken the lives of at least 33 people in North America, hundreds are stranded and unfortunately, the damage is far from over. I’ve listed some of the catastrophic details we’ve learned so far below.
Superstorm Sandy Update: Details on the Aftermath
- Over 7 million customers without power in the northeast
- A record 13 ft storm surge in NYC took over downtown Manhattan. Both the Hudson River and East River caused flooding in the New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Center construction site, the West Side Highway and Battery Park City.
- Subways are flooded with the worst damage in 108 years of MTA service.
- Over 50 homes burned to the ground in Queens after an electrical explosion
- The Jersey Shore has been completely “rearranged” with damage done to historic boardwalks and beaches in Belmar, Atlantic City and Long Beach Island.
- NYU Hospital lost backup power, transferring all patients in the middle of the night
- West Virginia is in a state of emergency with over 17 inches of snow
I feel blessed to be okay and am praying for everyone in this disaster. We will continue to update from NYC.