The Perfect Storm

[widgeon13]

Good to hear from you and hope you and your family an personal stuff are all ok.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Good to hear you're okay and thanks for doing everything you did the last few days. It sounds like there are a lot of needy people over your way.

I'm in PA again - heading home to NH today (avoiding NYC and NJ like the plague on the way though). The inland areas didn't do too badly but I did see an awful lot of snow still on the ground in far western PA and some trees/branches down probably from the weight. My thoughts go out to everyone in the coastal areas who really took the brunt of this - I hope it's not too much of a headache getting insurance company sleazeballs to pay up and get people back on their feet and not too much of a headache getting assistance needed. I know I'll be making a donation to the Red Cross when I get home and donating some food & canned goods that hopefully will make it down there to someone who needs it.

[jyl]

My grandmother in Northern NJ has power again. Good as she is a 102 y/o woman and her caretaker is no spring chicken either. 30 degree lows, all electric heat, and at her age going to shelter in a different place is a serious, even life-threatening, matter.

[island911]

Originally Posted by jyl

My grandmother in Northern NJ has power again. Good as she is a 102 y/o woman and her caretaker is no spring chicken either. 30 degree lows, all electric heat, and at her age going to shelter in a different place is a serious, even life-threatening, matter.

Maybe splitting hairs here, but isn't the life-threatening matter that she's a 102 years old? -- Wow!

...or is 102 the new 82?

[pwd72s]

Just got off the phone with Ron. Long Beach still without power, and Gas...
Their Jeep ok, the Saab not. 5 feet of water in the streets. The big news, his Road warrior is still with us, Ron jacking it fore and aft as the water came in, using
wood to raise the car. He'd run out of blocks...but the water stopped at the hubs. He figures only rear wheel bearings need replacing. The entire community under state police control..no driving after 5. Urban camping mode.

Generally, a mess...but he & Marianne survived it all.

I'm going to let Ron fill in details and post pics later..when he's back online.

He did request I post the following quote:
"The cancer didn't get me, so they had to send the ocean. They still failed!"

He grew up in Long Beach...said that he's seen it before. Stuff to expect when you live on a sandbar.

Yeah, Ron IS one tough mudder! I'm glad to have met him.

[Z-man]

pwd: thanks for the update! Good to hear he's doing well. One thing about us Northeastern folk - we are tough. You gotta a problem with dat?

Got gas for my truck tonight -- 30 minute wait, $30.00 limit. Since I had a full tank before the storm, $30.00 worth a gas was enough to bring me back to full. Had my friends over from the New Brunswick area for a couple of days since they were still without power, and some of my family up here is also without power, but have found places to stay with light and heat.

Cold snap just started -- tonight we'll be down to a low of 34 degrees. Praying there are enough warm places for folks to take shelter from the cold.

Things are getting better, and folks are reaching out to help each other -- but we still have a ways to go before we are back to any resemblance of normal...

If you are in the northeast and need help, PM me. I don't have much, but maybe I can help...

-Z

[NeedSpace]

Funny, I just siphoned 5 gallons out of my porsche to put in my audi. Still have another 5 gallons in it and about 5 in my other antique. I hope I can last siphoning until the pumps are back consistently.

Thanks for the offer Z-man. I look forward to meeting you fellow NJ dude.

[jyl]

Six vs half-dozen, I guess.

My uncle in Princeton lost power, went to his daughter's Princeton house, the generator failed, he ended up in Manhattan since their place there had power. My aunt lost power. They all have power and phone back now.

I also know a woman in a coastal town in CT. She's in a hotel, waiting for her house to be inspected and cleared to inhabit - or not. Water on three sides and six feet above sea level. Not a good situation.

Glad Ron is okay.

Quote de jyl

My grandmother in Northern NJ has power again. Good as she is a 102 y/o woman and her caretaker is no spring chicken either. 30 degree lows, all electric heat, and at her age going to shelter in a different place is a serious, even life-threatening, matter.

Maybe splitting hairs here, but isn't the life-threatening matter that she's a 102 years old? -- Wow!



...or is 102 the new 82?

[TimT]

Even in the midst of a disaster, humor is good for the soul

[WIL84911]

Didn't know about the rationing sat morning but got gas for the 911. Thanks to needspace my family is warm even without power.

[VINMAN]

Glad to see my fellow Pelican, are ok. Especially Ron. I know his area well. Cant be in a worse spot.

Got pretty lucky myself, few broken trees, some fence damage. Nothing major.

My search and rescue team was activated Sunday to prep everything. Monday night we were deployed to Atlantic city and Seaside for evacuation and rescue assignments. Loaded up our water recue equipment and shot down there. it was pretty bad. The storm was about at its peak at that point. Indescribably dangerous stuff to work in. Took loads of people out of homes and stranded cars.

This idiot got impatient and decided he didnt want to wait behind our convoy going over the Seaside bridge that night and drove along the shoulder to pass us. problem, shoulder was washed away. had to save his drowning ass.


Tuesday we were sent up to Little Ferry and Moonachie NJ , the levee along the Hackensack river busted, and flooded the town under 5 ft of water monday night.
We took 480 peopl out of their homes by boat and military trucks by the end of the day the water subsided some.

Made the front page of most of the news outlets.



We are the boat crew in the beginning and end of this one.

[VINMAN]

The rest of the week was spent down in Seaside Heights, Ortley Beach and Lavalette doing searches of remaining homes. had to checkl for occupants and search through rubble of destroyed homes. also had to check any vehicles and boats. That was rough. Tough work , and also to see everything that some people owned completely gone and destroyed. My team found some people who stupidly decided to stay in place. One thing that was realy sad was , I found and elderly couple in a home, the homes around them were trashed. The 84 y/o woman was sitting in a wheelchair in a foot of water. The 88 y/o husband was sitting on the couch crying. I was like WTF?? Nobody on the street checked on these people when they evacutated?? The only good thing was, the woman had alzhiemers and was oblivious to what happened. she just kept telling her husband to fix us some drinks.. so that lightened things up a little.
Whole sections of the town were destroyed by fire, because nobody could get to it and was no way of shutting the gas off.
The damage is nothing like what you see on TV. nothing can describe it.

I get so pissed now watching TV listening to people whining about not having electric or waiting in line for gas. They should just be thankful thats the only problems they have.

You can see where the water was up to on this bayfront home.

[VINMAN]

[widgeon13]

Vin, thanks for the update. Pretty incredible destruction.

[lonewolf]

No words to describe the heroic efforts of Vinny and all of the first responders.
Working all day and night to help/rescue others in conditions that cannot be imagined.
Glad you are ok Vinny.

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

This idiot got impatient and decided he didnt want to wait behind our convoy going over the Seaside bridge that night and drove along the shoulder to pass us. problem, shoulder was washed away. had to save his drowning ass.

Sometimes the good Lord has a sense of humor and gives it back once in awhile. Hope he at least said thanks.
Glad all is OK Vinny

[jyl]

Sitting here on the opposite coast, I think the media is not adequately explaining how much damage and loss there is.

[Z-man]

Vinman: you have a heart of gold. Thank you for your work!

When the dust settles after all this, and you are up in my area (North NJ) - PM me -- you got dinner coming your way. Actually, I'll come down by you -- just let me know where and when!

-Z

[widgeon13]

Yeah think so??????

Sitting here on the opposite coast, I think the media is not adequately explaining how much damage and loss there is.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Z-man

Vinman: you have a heart of gold...

It goes deeper than that.

Bless you, Vin...and fix us a drink