Wow, Mags, it sounds horrible. I feel so bad for all of the people in that area. I wish there was something we could do to help other than donate money.
Electricity would be something positive. We do not need more people in an area that can not provide for the peoplewho are already here. People are running out of food ....we don't have gas to run generators.... Its cold....we don't have water in some parts and we are going to take 10000 more people into the area?
It is not a good idea for anyone to come to the area...it is horrific. If you get here you may not be able to leave There is no gas to be found. Brigatine had mandatory evacuations and I believe they said everyone left.
i know Sea Girt was evacuated -- and LBI is obliterated.
I don't know where you are, Mags, but I am in Secaucus. Nothing but cops and fire engines going all morning long.
This is horrible.
This is like the wrath of God that we are experiencing. Yeah, bet I sound like one of those crazy evangelistic bible thumpers.
She says she is getting a new cell phone; nobody is allowed in to where my aunt's house is unless you've got a form of ID with the town addrerss on it.
The cops told me the whole town was under water. I called them about a half hour ago.
I'm glad that you're getting good news regarding family.
Trying to remember where my godmother lives so I can look into how her area fared, though my guess is the worst is that they don't have power. But my recollection is her and her daughter living in one of the Oranges, and I think they've since moved.
One of my friends updated me and said her hometown is pretty much destroyed, though her parents' house only got a few inches of water, and her brother's house flooded up to countertops and both cars were submerged. I can't imagine what she's feeling being so far from them.
If there's any way I can help you ladies, please let me know. I'm not going to fly in to clean up, because that won't help, but I want to help somehow.
Ditto Jess. Let me know if you guys need anything.
If it helps, AT&T just sent out a mass text. They're working on the network and hope to have access restored soon. I don't know how long it'll be, but you aren't forgotten.
Mags - how are you doing? Any word on when you might get power back?
I dont know we keep hearing different stories I heard by wed the latest but honestly I do not know how I can go. Another 5 days without water lights and heat....its in the 30s at night.
And I went out last night to dinner; don't ask about the comments people were making about the marathon.
The reports I am getting about Rockaway Beach and Mantoloking are disturbing; there are crooks and looters and other undesirables.
Nobody in Rockaway Beach is getting any help; they are literally cut off from everyone. This eerily reminds me of what happened in the Superdome during Katrina.
There was free gas brought in by the DOD; they are now telling everyone to NOT come to get the gas, "chaos" has broken out.
OUr state has now gone back to 1973: gas rationing and we are back on the odd-even day fill ups, just like 1973.
Hugs to all of you affected. The news is horrible. I cannot imagine being stranded somewhere like Staten Island or Rockaway Beach (or the other horribly affected areas).
Found out last night that my grandma's been eating food out of the fridge and kept opening it for ice until the cubes were only water. Just glad that she hasn't gotten sick. Wish I could do something more for everyone.
tmonoxide, I wish the news were better. Or that people were behaving better, though I think I can understand the panic.
My grandma talked to my godmother, she's okay. She didn't say anything about any damage or evacuation. She called my grandma and didn't get a message my grandma left for her, so who knows. She might not want to worry my grandmother, since that's how my family rolls.
They have no power. Nothing will be back until next week.
The entire town where the house is that my aunt owned is like a junk yard. Shit and debris and a shambles; the people who are there are walking around like zombies.
There was 4 feet of water in the house; the refrigerator blocked the door; it was carried by the water.
My aunt is 20 feet from the beach. You cross the street and a little bridge takes you to the beach. When you get on the beach, you'll see a bulkhead there that is 20 feet high.
The water now coveres the beach and the bulkhead. In essence, there is 20 feet of water as the new water level and there is no more beach. The water is overflowing the bulkhead on the other side so the water is now spilling into the street.
The house will be a loss. Every single house there will -- and accross the street from my aunt (she was on a corner) this ole house that is up real high and was built a thousand years ago was filled with water, too.
Where the hell are people supposed to LIVE?
There are many residents there that have full time jobs in NYC -- there was ferry service from South Street seaport to there. I'll bet most have no cars and ferry service probably was suspended -- geez, are these people trapped in there? there are no roads out of town you can take.
There are also con artists.
They come in by boat so the cops can't prevent them from coming into town by car.
And there are also crooks and looters, no doubt, also coming in by boat.
Will do. Do you think I will even be able to get through the AC mayor's office? I'm assuming they will be able to tell me just that it's evacuated entirely or not. I can't imagine anything beyond that.
Does anyone know how Mays Landing faired? That's on the mainland and a bit inland from the shore....but I don't think much.