Hurricane Sandy

Started by NickyNyce, Thu 01/11/2012 20:02:11

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NickyNyce

I'm writing this now from my house in Queens, New York. As some of you may know an enormous storm never before seen in the United States has hit New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and surrounding areas. There are tens of thousands of trees that have fallen on streets, houses, railroad tracks and businesses, streets turned to sand near the shores, boats that are parked in the streets like cars, major flooding near the coasts and most areas near any large body of water. there are millions without power, it has now become nearly impossible to get gas to fuel your car or run your generator. Stores are closed and you need to drive in order to get food.

I have never been through anything like this before and am actually safe and snug in my home, I have power and lots of food and water, but yet somehow I feel the chaos outside. It is pretty amazing how one storm can turn your city into a war zone, how one storm can make you realise how precious things like, gas, electric, food and water really are when something like this happens.

I have this new view on how easy it is to have people panic due to nowhere to go, homes destroyed, food and water, no gas, no power, blocked roads. I really do see now, how humanity teeters on a fine line, how if something terrible were to happen to our world, how fast we would turn on each other to get what we want, how fast things would get ugly. I used to laugh when I saw the show doomsday preppers and people were storing their food and making bunkers and ways to shield people off. I now respect the prepardness these people are taking. This post isn't about, poor us in New York or anything like that, these things happen all around the world, but this post is more about how scary it is to see how quickly things can escalate, especially if it was on a larger scale.

I normally don't ever start a thread unless it's game making related, but I felt the need to talk about it.

TheBitPriest

Hang in there.  I am on the other end of the storm in the mountains.  We were not hit as badly as New York, if only because we do not have the same population density.  Nevertheless, there are thousands of people without power in freezing temperatures.  I just got power back this evening, but I'm expecting to loose it again soon. I have been assisting with a relief effort to help the elderly and those without heat.  What a mess!   :(

Darth Mandarb

Yeah man I've been through this several times (live in S. Florida). 

It seems, now, like the world is turned upside down but society will reform and things will get back to normal.  Might take a little longer up there (as you guys aren't used to this type of thing) but in a few days/weeks normality will resume.  Be grateful you have power!

After Wilma (2005) I didn't have power for over 2 weeks.  It was brutal.  The hardest part for me was the first night with no power... it was SOOOOOOooooooo quiet it was painful.  You don't realize just how accustomed we have become to the "hum" of technology.

Grundislav

And luckily Wilma was in October so it wasn't hot outside with no power. 

I was without power for two weeks during Hurricane Andrew back in 1992, which pretty much decimated Miami (where I live,) so I also know what it feels like.  But yes, things go back to normal, and the best thing about it (if there can be a "best" thing) is how the community bands together to help each other out.  I've already seen people helping others charge their phones for free and giving out free pizza.  Thankfully there doesn't seem to be any looting going on in New York.  Unfortunately these situations can also bring out the worst in people.

KodiakBehr

All eyes have been on New York this week, and we're all glad you're still safe where you are in Queens.  We've been largely spared, but have been donating to the Red Cross to support relief efforts in your state.

NickyNyce

It is amazing how much we rely on these things to get through the day. Right now it is practically impossible to get gas, cars are lined up so far I couldn't imagine waiting on line. Some of these gas stations are out of gas and people are sleeping in their cars with the engines turned off for blocks and blocks. Power is slowly being restored and things will get back to normal, hopefully soon.

People really have bonded and are helping each other out, the fireman and police and all emergency workers are doing a fantastic job keeping the peace and helping everyone. There have been little looting in bad neighborhoods, and there has been a couple of stabbings and guns drawn at gas stations because of people cutting the lines, but for the most part people are behaving and acting orderly.

There is also lots of things that I've seen that bother me too, but I don't think this is the time to say them. What I will say is that people need to have patience and understand the severity of the situation.

Thank you to all that have donated to the relief effort, some of these people really need it badly. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers too.

Radiant

Best of luck to you all! I live below sea level but at least we don't get those big storms over here.

selmiak

#7
from my pineapple from under the sea I'd love to say Sandy is is overbite annoyance



Eric

I was hunkering down upstate from you, and luckily we were spared any sort of effect at all from the storm (it turned sooner than they'd predicted it would). I grew up in North Carolina though, and take these things super seriously. I've done the weeks without power bit too. Our current house has giant trees on three sides of it, so I made my wife and baby sleep downstairs in the living room. I kept waiting for the power to cut off, but it never did.

I've kicked in what I can for the relief effort downstate. New York is not prepared for hurricanes -- I saw that from the damage caused by Irene, which had already downgraded to a tropical storm before it flooded our area last year. But it seems like this might be a new pattern, unfortunately.

Has anyone heard from the Gilberts? They're in the city too, right?

Nikolas

Dave is fine. He's also got half power or something, but managed to post in facebook, so he's fine. And so is his wife and apartment...

I hope everyone else is ok and I wish that the worst has passed! Hang in there guys!

TheBitPriest

Everything is fairly normal on the "snowicane" end of the storm.  We had 33 inches of snow over night!  After our power lines caught on fire, we kept watch all night, bringing the children into our living room by the fire, sleeping in coats and shoes.  You could hear trees falling all around us. 

We move often.   My last home was on Long Island, just outside of Queens.  Some of my old contacts are carrying weapons.  It is getting violent there.

The relief effort slowed to a trickle on Saturday, and I have returned to normal game production today.   Our main project has stalled a bit, but I was still able to get a few backgrounds out for MAGS by war-driving for Internet access during the aftermath of the snowicane!  (nod)   That's right...  Nothing can stop MAGS.

NickyNyce

#11
Now we have a nor'easter on its way on Wednesday. More heavy rain, more flooding, 10-20 ft waves and winds up to 50 mph, not good for a shore that has no beaches or dunes. Still no relief when it comes to gas, I'm down to a bit less than half a tank, thank goodness I fueled up right before the storm. The Marines are in town and you start to wonder where you are, you can't go an hour without hearing sirens headed off to help someone. Just blocks from my house, lots of my friends lost their homes, cars, everything they had.

Seeing this destruction with my own eyes has changed me for life, I will never be the same again.

If you feel like getting depressed, look at these pictures. You can switch between three sections, Recovery, Aftermath and Hurricane.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/49596252/displaymode/1247?beginSlide=1

EchosofNezhyt

Red Cross is pretty good, When our house burnt down a few years ago and we lost everything they showed up a few hours later with some clothes, toothbrushes and a bit of money for us to get stuff to wear ect.

Goodluck.


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