<p>sybbie , check out disaster assistance.com to call 1 800 621 FEMA</p>
<p>Also finally spoke to our agent and we are not covered for the damage we got since it was flood related…so my "can do " husband and a few good friends and workers went over and fixed things up. With a power washer and bleach and creativity, they should have the place up and running maybe by Friday
We lost some things such as computers , but my husband’s attitude is that they were on their way out so we will get one and another in the spring . We do not own the building so I guess we will make lemonade out of the lemons. Remarkably , we still have electricity , but no internet ( that we use for credit card sales ) And the wooden part of the floor that came up turned out to be a good thing since they discovered a broken water main , that our friend fixed. The other inventory that was destroyed can be replaced . Two of the guys who worked tirelessly and will again until it is done are the two that I feared would be out of work…without asking to be paid for their work. I think we will be just fine, so now on to figure out what to do to help others in our area who won’t rebound this easily</p>
<p>Came here last Thurs. to celebrate a milestone birthday with two sisters. . .was supposed to leave Mon. morning. Flight already rescheduled twice. . .hope to get back to KC on Friday.
(Had a great time Thurs.-Sun.!) We are in Brooklyn with no flooding, no power outage and plenty of food–we’ve been very fortunate.</p>
<p>paying3tuitions- if she’s employed through an agency, or through BOCES, have her check with the HR department because there may be some compensation available. It’s worth asking anyway.
Here in NE Ohio, it’s a soggy mess. When ABC News showed the “blackout map”, there we were with our very own “red spot”, indicating power loss. It’s been pouring here since last Friday and isn’t expected to quit until the weekend. I’ve always loved autumn, but it’s a nasty mess of wet leaves which are glued to the house, the windows, the car and the driveway. I can’t imagine when it will be dry enough to rake the things up. Thankfully, the winds have died down enough for the electric and gas crews to get in and to begin fixing broken and downed lines, and our power is now back on. I had turned on the gas fireplace just before the power went out on Monday evening, so it’s been running ever since and providing heat for the house. The dogs don’t like to go outside because they have to have their coats on to keep from getting soaked to the skin.
We’re going to Disney World on 12/10 and I really need that trip!!</p>
<p>D2 has figured out how to work from home for her job in NYC (below 39th st, no power) - so she doesn’t lose any more pay. I’m absolutely loving having her here, even though she ate much of the halloween candy!</p>
<p>My European employer is losing patience with my inability to do work. Our midtown office was open today, but no phone service, as our T1 provider is in lower Manhattan and flooded. </p>
<p>Trying to do the best I can, but the sun doesn’t rise until after 7am and have no internet at home. H did hot-wire our furnace today to hook into the extension cord I’m running from my neighbor. Alternating between furnace & basement fridge. </p>
<p>Picked up D1 from Rutgers area today. The gas lines are no joke - over 2 miles for the Sam’s Club on Rt 1 in Edison. Another on the GSP around exit looked a similar length. Very glad we filled both cars Sunday afternoon. </p>
<p>This is getting very old very quickly. We heard today the best estimate for our town to get line crews in is next Monday. NJ Transit isn’t making any estimates for its trains, as the control center is flooded, as are the tunnels and Hoboken.</p>
<p>Our school district is closed for the rest of the week. Many people in town are still without power. The dunes have washed away. Lots of flooding. </p>
<p>Now the good news. The businesses on Main St. lit candles and powered up generators to help our kids celebrate Halloween. Every year they participate in the Pumpkin Trail. They put a big orange pumpkin sign in their front window which signals to the kids that they can come in for candy. They weren’t about to let the kids down this year because of a storm and power outage. Main St. was full of kids in costume walking from store to store and filling up their bags with candy. </p>
<p>The older kids venture off into neighborhoods once they finish the Pumpkin Trail. We’ve had so many trick-or-trickers tonight! We’re almost out of the $100 worth of candy we bought from them. Every single child was polite and appreciative.</p>
<p>the news said they are going to pump the water out of Bellview Hosp. How on earth? They can’t just pump flood water back into flood water. Do they bring in tanker trucks and truck it away?? Ugh. What a mess, what a disaster.
I feel vaguely guilty that we didn’t even lose power. We usually lose it even in thunderstorms, nevermind a hurricane.</p>
<p>NJ2011–looks like the gas issue is going to have a great impact. Filled our car Sunday, so we should be able to make the roundtrip to CM and back this weekend, but then I don’t know. my kids work for an organization that is vehicle-dependent; they’re not sure how to keep it going and no one will be paid if they can’t. </p>
<p>Saw my first gas-station lines today–miles long up a busy avenue that cuts through our area. HOpe this doesnt’ go on too long!</p>
<p>The decision to hold the marathon is causing lots of controversy. Lots of comments from today’s New York Times article, " Marathon Is Set to Go On,Stirring Debate." Businessweek also had an interesting article today, “Why the Marathon Is the Last Thing New York Needs.”</p>
<p>Surely not the worst thing to come from Sandy, but as a grad student in the biosciences I can’t even fathom how I would deal with all of my experiments gone:</p>
<p>S in Arlington is OK. Briefly lost power but otherwise has weathered the storm and had more time to overcome his cold while hunkering down and waiting it out. Prayers to all who are having hardships and worse. He went to work today & things are back to mostly “normal” in DC area, I believe.</p>
<p>Gov. Cuomo exploited a very traumatic situation to push his political agenda. His comments about the environment were delivered at the wrong time when at moments like this, people need words of comfort, not an “I told you so”. He came off as a jerk.</p>
<p>Gov. Christie on the other hand, brought me to tears as he reflected on how much the Jersey Shore has meant to him throughout his lifetime.Growing up in NJ, that week at the shore with my family each year meant the world to me. I know millions of others have a very special place in their hearts for the Jersey Shore.
I live there now and am watching my neighbors suffer and it is heartbreaking. </p>
<p>When Christie was asked about the election by a reporter he said “right now I don’t give a damn!”</p>
<p>Finally heard from my MIL and SIL. They have oceanfront apartments in Long Beach New York ( out on LI) and had not heeded the pre Sandy evacuation order. They were all (including the dog and BIL who was visiting them) on the highway on their way to me (in south Florida) and planned to drive straight through, alternating drivers. So relieved they are okay. Good thing we have a big empty nest! The national guard was doing door to door evacuations in their area due to added problem of raw sewage in the flood waters, in addition to having no power with a really long (weeks) estimate of restoration.</p>
<p>Garland, are you going to Cape May to heck on your house ? I hope everything is ok down there. When things calm down a bit I want to go down and take a look. So far it seems like they didn’t get the same damage as some of the local barrier islands.
The lines to get into our two barrier island towns were unreal. We still haven’t been to our store in Sea Isle , but since we can still see the security cameras, feel pretty confident that it is fine. The Ocean Drive between OC and SIC was impassable because of the sand ( at least for the vehicle that my husband and his friend were in )</p>
<p>'Gov. Cuomo exploited a very traumatic situation to push his political agenda. His comments about the environment were delivered at the wrong time when at moments like this, people need words of comfort, not an “I told you so”. He came off as a jerk."</p>
<p>Frankly, I’m proud to see a politician of some stature finally talking about the inevitable consequences of climate change. If we don’t start talking about it right now, then when? After the next horrific storm? Or the one after that? Or the one after that? Do we just blindly start rebuilding in the devastated areas, only to see them devastated again during the next hurricane season or the one after that?</p>
<p>I have not heard exactly what Cuomo said or the context, so I won’t defend or criticize him. Certainly, I would not condone exploitation of this situation for political gain, but I think Sandy has provided an opportunity for increased, factual, scientific discussion about climate change. Continued best wishes for those still suffering.</p>
