"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken, struck down,
but not destroyed." – 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
On Sunday, October 28th my family left our home with a few possessions in our Nissan Rogue not knowing what the next few days would bring. Coastal New Jersey was under a mandatory evacuation order and after watching the hurricane models for several days there was no doubt that we would leave. We knew from neighbors that our old house built in the late 1940's had survived the great storm of 1962 but we also knew that we would be safer over on the mainland. So, we did one last check of the property, we prayed and we left stopping to take one last look at our beach. Even at 1:30 p.m. on that Sunday, the ocean was already growing angry and gray.
We weathered the storm with good friends who invited us into their home. On that same Sunday night we had the obligatory "hurricane party" consisting of homemade Mexican food and margaritas (similar to our 2011 evacuation for Hurricane Irene). We were fortunate when two trees fell on their property that the trees missed the house. By Tuesday my husband and I ventured out to check our business when we stumbled upon a grocery store that had just re-opened. They were operating on a generator which meant only enough power for low-level lighting and the registers. I encouraged my husband to go back to the truck for his flashlight and we shopped by flashlight for any food that could be easily cooked on a gastop cook stove since we were without power. People were polite inside the store and considering the circumstances, shopping could have been a real nightmare.
A few days turned into two plus weeks but we managed. We all returned to our respective jobs; we joked about "commune living" while sharing cooking, cleaning, and laundry obligations. Our boys returned to school after two weeks (1 week was scheduled off due to a fall break).
It is now three weeks and one day post-evacuation. Our home survived Sandy and we were recently able to return; however, many in Sandy's path are not so fortunate. I have seen churches and organizations making spectacular efforts to help people. I have seen policemen/women, electric line workers, and insurance adjusters from other states helping to take care of our communities. Volunteer firefighters in my own community lost everything while serving the citizens of our little town. Their tireless work and compassion seems to know no end. I have seen large trucks from other states delivering relief in the form of water, cleaning supplies, canned food, blankets and other household items helpful to giving people a new start. I helped a restaurant owner collect turkeys in her parking lot this past Saturday in order to host a community Thanksgiving Day dinner all the while workers inside her restaurant were busy salvaging what they could in the hopes of rebuilding. I have seen the worst that Mother Nature can dish out and I have seen the best in people. I've got news for you Mother Nature, the people are overcoming the havoc you wreaked.
Here's something I wrote to help our family remember Hurricane Sandy 2012.
Hurricane Sandy by the Numbers
26 – The approximate number of hours without electricity.
17 – The number of nights we were out of our home.
16 – The number of home-cooked dinners.
1 – The number of times we ordered pizza
7 to 10 – The number of people at the dinner table each evening.
15 – The number of inches of water that flowed through our garage and crawl space.
8 – The number of days that passed before we could return to the island to inspect our property and gather a few more clothes.
5 – The number of days that school was dismissed.
3 – The number of days I kept telling myself “She survived the great storm of 1962”. (“She” refers to our home.)
2 – The number of trees that fell during the height of the storm narrowly missing the house we evacuated to.
1 – The number of times I experienced “generator envy”
66 – Pounds of meats & cheeses sent to Surf City Volunteer Fire Company
100s – The number of times we prayed for our beloved island and
surrounding communities as well as for rescue workers who placed
themselves in harm’s way.
?Who knows? – Number of “The Honeymooners” episodes that we watched.
4 – As in 4ever grateful for good friends who invited us into their
home and weathered the storm with us while providing accommodations and
encouraging words. We are 4ever indebted to our friends for
their kindness. Thank you Sandi, Mike, Dominick and Skid (the cat)!
