Good Luck to All with Hurricane Sandy!

[taskoni]

“There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.'
No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Stay safe folks!

Regards,

Boris

[TheFlyingCamera]

Here in DC it has so far been anticlimactic and overreaction. I understand shutting down subway service, but bus service too? We haven't had many trees down that I can tell, and I've only heard one fire/rescue crew go by since the storm started. So far we've had some moderate wind gusts, nothing seriously sustained, and some moderately hard rain. I had my power hiccup once last evening, and that's been it - fortunately someone in the city planning department decades ago buried the main power lines inside the city, so there aren't lots of poles near trees. The phone and cable lines come in to the houses from the alleys in the center of the blocks, and there are generally fewer big trees in backyards that can interfere with the power lines. The worst so far for me has been my patio door needs re-caulked where the frame meets the wall because it's been leaking. Nothing a bucket and a few towels haven't been able to handle so far.

[daveleo]

We're in central Massachusetts (far from water). Not a bad storm at all. Last year's October snow storm was much much worse for damage and power outage (around us here).
Folks near water got clobbered last night. I think NJ & NYC took the big hit.

[rover]

I am on an east facing slope above the Housatonic River so when the winds were from the east we got hit pretty good, but all held up well for us. I am waiting for the sun to come up so I can see the area. I know the neighbors fence and possibly tree fell. My office is closed today, but I have no choice, I have to make a trip across state to take care of some stuff. I should be able to find enough open roads to reach my destination. If they highways open again I will be all set.

[ray*j*gun]

I live in a suburb of Phila. Tore up my neighborhood and still have no power. The NJ shore is a disaster. Thank you all for your thoughts!

[sepiareverb]

Patchy blue sky and dark clouds here in NE VT this morning. Drizzly rain just picked up for a bit, but is back to a mist now. Walking the dog this morning revealed my neighborhood looking pretty good, not even many branches down.

Just heard from a friend that our old basement darkroom in NYC on 7th between C & D is waist deep in water. Sounds less bad than some of the pictures I was seeing last night led me to believe. He lives on the first floor there and I was expecting his apartment to be wet.

[peter_n]

Right now the sun is shining and we have power. Lots of small/medium branches down from the trees in my yard and on the street. After I signed off RFF last night there was an explosion on the street and live power lines sparking on the road and part of a tree was on fire. I'm told that a big tree came down on the other side of our house and hit someone's house. I think my street is closed off & I'll go out in a while to take a look but we at least have been very lucky this time. The wind was unreal yesterday.

[ironhorse]

Originally Posted by jsrockit

How's NYC now? Im Stuck in Osaka.

Tuesday at 9 am.....all subways and bridges closed. No power in manhattan below 39st. No power in most of statan island, coney island, and rockaways
Devastating flooding battery park area, rockaways, red hook, and all costal areas.

Thankfully we have power and minor damage in Park Slope.

[zauhar]

My neighborhood in Philadelphia is relatively unscathed, and our power did not go out, surprisingly. I went out with camera this morning, and there was nothing dramatic to photograph. Some public transport is already back in service.

My prayers and best wishes to those not so fortunate. This is a reminder that as a society we need to drop the "me-first" attitude, since next time you may be the one in trouble.

(Wasted words here, as my fellow RFFers do not fall in that sinful category.)

Randy

[MartinP]

I just read this on the BBC website...

NYC Mayor's Office tweets: Alternate side parking and meter regulations are suspended citywide tomorrow. #Sandy

I suppose this means that all the cars floating about will not earn parking fines?

Good luck to all those affected over there.

[gb hill]

Originally Posted by zauhar

My neighborhood in Philadelphia is relatively unscathed, and our power did not go out, surprisingly. I went out with camera this morning, and there was nothing dramatic to photograph. Some public transport is already back in service.

My prayers and best wishes to those not so fortunate. This is a reminder that as a society we need to drop the "me-first" attitude, since next time you may be the one in trouble.

(Wasted words here, as my fellow RFFers do not fall in that sinful category.)

Randy

Randy, I'm so glad to hear you got thru unscathed. last night when I heard that Philly was getting hammered I immediatly thought of you. Philly has a sweet spot in my heart because of my time I was stationed at the Naval Shipyards. Last word I heard Sandy has claimed over 30 lives...so sad.

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by ironhorse

Tuesday at 9 am.....all subways and bridges closed. No power in manhattan below 39st. No power in most of statan island, coney island, and rockaways
Devastating flooding battery park area, rockaways, red hook, and all costal areas.

Thankfully we have power and minor damage in Park Slope.

Thanks. I live at 79th and York on the 6th floor, so I assume my place is ok.

[jkrumsick]

Shot a few rolls of medium format BnW from a rented Hassy yesterday.

In my area in Brooklyn there thankfully wasn't too much destruction and I had power/internet/cable/water throughout the entire ordeal.

Better than I can say for the 2 million still without power...

[zauhar]

Originally Posted by gb hill

Randy, I'm so glad to hear you got thru unscathed. last night when I heard that Philly was getting hammered I immediatly thought of you. Philly has a sweet spot in my heart because of my time I was stationed at the Naval Shipyards. Last word I heard Sandy has claimed over 30 lives...so sad.

Greg, thanks for the kind words. I am still surprised that we got off with less damage than other areas, considering that the center of the storm passed right by us.

The Naval shipyards is still in business, in a sense. There is still commercial shipbuilding going on, and I think the Navy still has some operations. As is the case with many big chunks of urban land, there are many on-going attempts to re-use it. Urban Outfitters moved headquarters there, and Tastykake moved a big bakery in. (You may know all that already.)

Let me know if you ever plan a trip to Philly!

Randy

[stompyq]

Hope everyone's ok. I'am at work today (was quite the adventure that) and hearing some horror stories about how bad it is in NJ with the downed ppwer lines and water. John, I'am assuming your still in japan? I heard the airports are just starting to get back up today.

[Vincent.G]

Take care New York folks !
Stay Safe & Dry !

[jsrockit]

John, I'am assuming your still in japan? I heard the airports are just starting to get back up today.

Yep, flight is now for the 3rd. Was supposed to be the 29th. Crazy.

[el fotografo]

I'm on the Upper Westside and things are not as bad as lower Manhattan.
My apartment looks out at the Hudson River and it was raging all day Sunday with whitecaps.
At one point a catamaran came up river against the tide to tie on to a buoy, which was crazy.
A coast guard cutter came over to check them out.
Sunday night we could see the transformers exploding in New Jersey.
Bright green flashes all night long. The wife and I contemplated a time-lapse photo..
The entire Jersey side went dark and has remained so ever since.
We have family staying with us who lost power in Chelsea, and the kids are out of school.
I decided to walk to work to get out of the house.
Public transportation is a mess and will be for some time.

[gb hill]

Originally Posted by zauhar

The Naval shipyards is still in business, in a sense. There is still commercial shipbuilding going on, and I think the Navy still has some operations. As is the case with many big chunks of urban land, there are many on-going attempts to re-use it. Urban Outfitters moved headquarters there, and Tastykake moved a big bakery in. (You may know all that already.)

Let me know if you ever plan a trip to Philly!

Randy

I was in Philly from 81-82. I do hope to get back one day. Big changes have taken place I'm sure.

[SuperUJ]

Originally Posted by jsrockit

Thanks. I live at 79th and York on the 6th floor, so I assume my place is ok.

John - I only heard issues of 86th St Subway station in the UES. Folks that I know in UES are fine. /John

[taskoni]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFlsXgw_SFE

Hope you are all well folks!

Regards,

Boris

[paulfish4570]

my neice and her young family live in tribeca. which end of manhattan is that? i know they are without electricity, but otherwise not affected.

[robklurfield]

No light, electricity, heat, phone, Internet. BUT we are safe. No damage to our house here. Our place at the Jersey shore, judging from aerial photos from the coast guard, appears, miraculously, to still be standing, though many neighbors there seem to have lost their homes (not far from Seaside Heights, where th famous boardwalk was totally destroyed). We are very, very lucky. A 45 foot tall pine missed hitting our front door by a few feet. Don't expect to have power here for perhaps a week or more yet.

[paulfish4570]

thanks for the report, rob. i am relieved ...

[zauhar]

Originally Posted by robklurfield

No light, electricity, heat, phone, Internet. BUT we are safe. No damage to our house here. Our place at the Jersey shore, judging from aerial photos from the coast guard, appears, miraculously, to still be standing, though many neighbors there seem to have lost their homes (not far from Seaside Heights, where th famous boardwalk was totally destroyed). We are very, very lucky. A 45 foot tall pine missed hitting our front door by a few feet. Don't expect to have power here for perhaps a week or more yet.

Rob, I echo Paul in being glad you and yours are safe, but that still sounds pretty miserable. I hope the utilities are back sooner than expected.

Randy