[dw1]

ok, my Hurricane Sandy experience so far (fyi, I'm in north-central NJ):

Lost power, but only for short periods. (Last year's Halloween storm took out my electricity for a full week.) However, I do have relatives who lost power staying with us.

No notable river or stream flooding in my area, unlike Irene (the damage from which we are still fixing). Further east, however, the flooding was significant.

I was out for a bit today (helping out, chainsaw in hand) and until then, I didn't realize the number of downed branches, uprooted trees, etc. Major roads were blocked. Entire towns without power. Trees sitting at 45 degree angles supported only by power lines.

Imho, the news media usually hypes storm damage to a large extent. This one really is as bad as it appears.