Storm damage....
Oct. 30th, 2012 11:07 amThere is a small part of me that's grateful for having traded the risk of hurricanes, winter storms, blizzards and the attached power outages, for the risk of earthquakes. That's right, this northern Californian was born and raised in Brooklyn. Incidentally, not that I knew it at the time, I grew up on a fault, in an un-reinforced, 3 story masonry home built on landfill. It's a fault that hasn't had a significant jolt since the 1880's; however, when it does, the neighborhood will most likely cease to exist.
A checked in with both mom and my youngest sister, Joan, last night before I headed out for home. They were both hunkering down in central NJ. The storm had not yet made landfall. Mom felt confident there would be no flooding at her place, while my sister was not so sure. As I was driving home listening to the BBC, less than 90 minutes later, the broadcaster in London announced my old neighborhood in Brooklyn was under 2-3 feet of water, as a building less than 5 blocks from where I grew up was on fire. Very sobering. The lines were busied out when I got home. I couldn't get through to check on them.
I just got mom on her cell, she's fine and the house took on no water. Given the size and depth of her basement, she could have wound up with that in ground pool she's always wanted. Mom is however without power, but does have gas and water. Joan I could not get thru to, but mom tells me Joan has no power either. My other sister, Susan was on mom's other line when I called. Susan was at work at Johns Hopkins. She lives in one of the outlying Baltimore burbs and had no utilities at all at home- not power, gas or water.
Joan has power at the apartment she had in midtown Manhattan, so my nephew and his girlfriend are staying there. Neither of them have power in their apartments (not that I know exactly where those apartments are; they're somewhere in lower Manhattan).
A checked in with both mom and my youngest sister, Joan, last night before I headed out for home. They were both hunkering down in central NJ. The storm had not yet made landfall. Mom felt confident there would be no flooding at her place, while my sister was not so sure. As I was driving home listening to the BBC, less than 90 minutes later, the broadcaster in London announced my old neighborhood in Brooklyn was under 2-3 feet of water, as a building less than 5 blocks from where I grew up was on fire. Very sobering. The lines were busied out when I got home. I couldn't get through to check on them.
I just got mom on her cell, she's fine and the house took on no water. Given the size and depth of her basement, she could have wound up with that in ground pool she's always wanted. Mom is however without power, but does have gas and water. Joan I could not get thru to, but mom tells me Joan has no power either. My other sister, Susan was on mom's other line when I called. Susan was at work at Johns Hopkins. She lives in one of the outlying Baltimore burbs and had no utilities at all at home- not power, gas or water.
Joan has power at the apartment she had in midtown Manhattan, so my nephew and his girlfriend are staying there. Neither of them have power in their apartments (not that I know exactly where those apartments are; they're somewhere in lower Manhattan).