Hurricane #Sandy a New York Story...

Hurricane Sandy blew in like Hurricane Katrinas' BFF with a verrrry bad attitude, and wrecked untold havoc on towns and cities both outlining the Atlantic Ocean and farther inland.  New Jersey and Brooklyn seem to have suffered the worst!

Never in my life have I seen such devastation, so up close and personal.  Thankfully, my immediate family and friends have done well.  If you can say "doing well" does not include fatalities.  Loss of property has been catastrophic.  Sailboats were in parking lots close to my home.  My mothers home was hit by a tree the size of Kansas and she is one of the lucky ones!  Many towns, nearby and afar remain in utter darkness, without fresh water and food spoiling on market shelves. Subways, commuter lines and bridges were closed and are reopening in bits and pieces.  Gasoline is being rationed to ten gallons per vehicle.  Seaside homes have been uprooted and claimed by the Atlantic Ocean.  It is a dire situation. 

Luckily, I regained power after one day.  Cable and Internet access reappeared last evening, apparently for sure this time after multiple earlier failings.  The stories and images are ghastly.  So much credit needs to go to local organizations, FEMA, local government and President Obama for the upmost in presidential posture for doing what is possible (insisting politics are put aside during the last days of an election) to get things 'back to normal'.  

Something which I can confidently say, with dropping temperatures, homes in seven feet of water and significant loss of life is far in the distance "back-to-normal" seems very far away.

Surely, you have seen images of New York City in darkness.  They are beyond eerie,  yet if you cross another street entire grids (neighborhoods) are beaming with light and daily necessary essentials.  One particular neighborhood, Breezy Point lost a total of one hundred eleven homes with one fire!

Hurricane Sandy is OUR Katrina!  This is our September 11th. all over again.  But like 9-11-01 New Yorkers will survive.  We will regain our composure and we do look after one another.

There are countless other towns and cities affected by Sandy. I hope they fare well.  This experience belongs to all of us.  Tomorrow evening NBCUniversal Television will air a telethon supporting victims of the hurricane.  It will be televised on sister networks of NBCUniversal (Bravo, MSNBC, E Network and Syfy) beginning at 8pm.

Performances by Sting, Bono and Christina Aguilera to name a few will perform.  Please lend your support to the American Red Cross relief fund, if you can to bring cities and those profoundly affected by this devastating event - find their way "back to normal'.

THANK YOU for your support and prayers.

xoxo,

Joy

Note: Images courtesy Boston Globe and New York Daily News