The People Who Were Killed By Hurricane Sandy
Like everybody else, I try so hard to navigate through that feeling. You know, the uneasy, eery feeling of disbelief. The slow moving 'am I seeing what I think I'm seeing right now' feeling. The detached, 'is this a movie' sensation that quiets your thoughts right before the s*** hits the fan. I found myself glued to the TV on Monday October 29th. My brain was in a contorted advanced yoga pose as I watched the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel fill up with water like a toy being slowly submerged into a full bathtub. Then I started reading posts on The New York City Firefighters Brotherhood Foundation facebook page. There were calls for backup because a firehouse was flooding and the members were struggling to get out. Then came the announcement that Breezy Point was on fire ... life over property was the next post. Then all of lower Manhattan went dark as the streets filled with water. Every story, every post, and every picture dragged me further and further from the safety of my pre-hurricane world.I had the "best" seat in the house and I watched nothing but Sandy coverage and read nothing but Sandy tweets until the power went out. You would think that would be enough? But still, I needed to drive through the streets of Midland Beach before I really knew what had happened. Then and only then did the details come into focus. I slowed my car, mouth open shaking my head. Streets were littered with cars and boats; there were hundreds of people standing outside of gutted homes whose contents looked as if they had been vomited out onto the street. They were all struggling with THAT feeling. It wasn't until I saw it that it became real. And the reality is, Sandy wound up and then gave us a shot to the gut that brought us to our knees, gasping for air.
We know that the coastline surrounding the tri-state area has been devastated. We know that it is going to take many neighborhoods years to recover, if ever. We also know that over 100 people lost their lives to this natural disaster... Over 100 people. Do we know that? Really? Or do we just have that information? Whitney Hess, wants us to really know. To the best of her ability she created a list with the names and the stories of each of Sandy's victims.
Just as I had to drive through the decimated streets of Staten Island before I really understood the storm's full impact, I had to read about each and every individual that died in the path of Sandy before I really knew. I know now. My heart sinks for each family member and friend of those that were lost. I am again humbled as I slow down, mouth open shaking my head ...
Thank you for this post. I have to admit that after our power was restored after a week, I felt as though I missed information about the full impact of Sandy. Most of what I knew, I found out through Facebook posts and it was in small bits that had to be searched for to get the full details. Now that I am able to watch the news, I feel that the major news outlets have stopped focusing on the tri-State area's devastation- like it's yesterday's news. I wondered about the lives that were lost. They all have a story and it all ended so quickly. I think it's important to know that this storm took away so much more than homes and possessions.
ReplyDeleteI know Karen...I too found out more through Social Media. I don't think many people really knew the depth of this storm. This
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