As previously stated, Unique Photo along with much of our surrounding area is feeling the hurt with lack of power, but for many of us not having power is the least of our worries. Friends in Staten Island, LBI and the Jersey shore have had their houses decimated and the death toll keeps rising. Parts of NYC and Hoboken are still underwater and even though places with power are saying "business as usual" it's incredibly difficult to travel to and from the city with limited access, the gridlock traffic and lack of public transportation. In our collective bubble, we're dealing with the damage and debris that's in front of us, but our neighbors have also been heavily effected in Sandy's wake. Haiti was still rebuilding from the massive earthquake in 2010 and a recent cholera outbreak; now at least 52 people are dead and 200,000 left homeless from flooding. We're not here to compare scars, but all we can do is listen to the news and give what we can to those who need it. It's unfortunate that it takes a disaster to bring the community together, but that's the way things are...What can we do but be strong and rebuild?
We've all seen the pictures of our shores that now look like post-apocalyptic wastelands and the city that looks like a Neo-Atlantis. I'm sure people living here are sick of hearing about it, but I feel it's important to report what I've been seeing to give those who are not in the thick of it some perspective.
October 30th After the blunt of the storm hit everyone seemed to be in shell-shock. With no power there were a lot of restless people trying to clear away fallen branches, shingles and garbage. There were also people like me who just needed to get out of the house, taking pictures of the craziness in our backyards. My hometown of Lyndhurst usually deals with major flooding from the Passaic River with any major storm, but we fared much better than we did with Hurricane Irene. The park by the river floods easily and it becomes a giant lake, but for the most part we just had to deal with damage. The winds were so strong that trees were uprooted, ripped violently apart by the seams. Many roads were blocked off from these massive fallen trees that took out power lines. Most of the area lucked out by getting power back by nightfall, but still some neighboring towns were left eerily in the dark.
Riverside Park, Lyndhurst NJ
Most of the park became a lake and many trees had major damage
What was a baseball field.
A stranded car in the middle of a flooded street
Debris from the violent winds
October 31st Happy Halloween...I guess. Christie declared it canceled and instead people were trick or treating at gas stations that had power. I hopped on a line pretty early and even though they had already run out of regular, they still had premium and plus. By the time I left the line it went down probably half a mile. I have friends in Jersey City and knew they didn't have power so I thought I'd see if they needed any help. Even getting there was a nightmare. By the afternoon the lines for gas were blocking streets for miles and many stop lights were out...people driving erratically, tempers high over waiting in line, and fights breaking out. I just focused on getting out of there so I didn't document. My friend lives close to Hoboken so we walked down and saw that the town was mostly still under water. There were many stranded cars, tossed aside by rushing waves of water and you could see the iridescent colors of oil in the sludge. Most of the streets were probably knee-high with water, but cars were still trying to ford through it, often getting stranded in the process. On Washington Ave there were lots of people surrounding the town hall trying to get supplies and charge up their phones. The National Guard just arrived with their first aid crates and jugs of water. Besides that there wasn't much tension in the air. People were relatively friendly, albeit fiending for commodities like coffee. Water was still deep, but beginning to recede...There were lots of garbage bag shoes going on, but people were still out and about.
The remnants of a store on Central Ave in Jersey City
A car being pushed to safety on New York Ave
Line of cars attempting to drive through the flood
Traces of oil in the murky water flooding the streets
A large crowd trying to charge their phones (An iPad too...)
National Guard setting up shop
Onward Jersey City issued curfew to prevent looting, but cars were still on the road despite traffic lights being out. There are reports of high accident rates due to car accidents and the police are enforcing the streets to make sure people are not out. Right now the biggest problem going on is fuel. There's a high tension as everyone is trying to gas up before there isn't any left. Many stations are closed and lines are piling up for miles, wrapping around corners. Those in line sit with looks of fear and anxiety that they will run dry. On foot people are trying to fill as many red tanks of gas, standing in line for at least 2 hours. Even after the stations close, people camp out in hopes of filling up before everyone else. It's an absolute nightmare. Worst of all there's no straight answers when we'll get full power back or when more fuel tankers will come. All we can do is wait it out right now and there's a feeling of defeat. As if it weren't bad enough that we have to deal with the damage we have to deal with the ugliness of "survival". Not to rant, but I think this is an eye-opening experience for all of us. No matter how prepared you thought you were, nothing could prepare you for this.
Seeing Red
The waiting game
End of the car line that goes down four blocks
One of the many taped up stations
Red tanks everywhere
While I write this, I understand I'm one of the lucky ones and insist those of us who are more fortunate to continue supporting each other in any way possible. Things might be getting hectic, but there's still a sense of camaraderie. Some are offering power strips outside for those without power to charge up. Facebook users are creating groups that are trying to pool together supplies for those in need. We're even doing our part at Unique Photo by providing flashlights, batteries and other supplies if you're in the Fairfield area. It's not going to be easy, but we have to stick through this together and show that we are a strong community. Be safe, look out for one another, and remain positive.