The Storm that Stole Halloween

Hours before the storm hit

We carved pumpkins pre-power outage

Up until know, it's safe to say that all of my blog posts have been relatively upbeat, positive, happy, and festive.  But I started this blog to document our lives and our marriage, and sometimes that includes a few not so happy times.  I had planned on writing this entry about Halloween, and sharing pictures of our funny costumes and talking about how crazy we partied the night of Halloween.  Unfortunately, Halloween took a back seat this year....because of Superstorm Sandy...or what some people have been referring to as "Frankenstorm".

By now you have all seen hundreds of pictures and images from what some are calling the worst storm US history.  I'm not making these claims, I know a lot of other people across the country have endured many hardships as well from storms of our Nation's past...but if you haven't seen them, there are some pretty incredible pictures floating around the internet.  Buzzfeed has had the best collection of images I've seen, and it's definitely worth checking out.  I'm not intending to bring you anything new that you haven't already seen, but rather capture the reality of what we've lived through the past week and share with everyone who isn't in New York the status of the Mobley household.

Manhattan...with out power

A few of you may remember hurricane Irene from last year.  There was a bit of damage, but New York city did not sustain even close to the amount of damage that was predicted last year.  Luckily, we stocked up on candles and flashlights last year...something that would come in handy over the past week or so.  When the news started picking up about Hurricane Sandy (which was actually DOWNGRADED to a "superstorm" whatever the hell that means), I felt lucky to live with a survivalist husband who made sure that we were stocked for a few days.  We had no idea how terrible it would actually be.

The scene from our apartment..for almost a week.

We braced for the storm on Monday night...and held on to whatever power we had for a long as possible.  We carved pumpkins to stay in the Halloween spirit, we watched scary movies, we charged every last piece of electronic equipment that we had.  The winds outside were terrifying as they reached upwards of 90 miles an hour. We both stayed glued to our cell phones on Facebook/Twitter to see how the neighboring communities we weathering the storm and to stay up to date on the power outages.  Around 9p on Monday, the entire sky lit up, as if sustaining a hit from a targeted missal, and the power was out.  We found out later that the substation that powered our home (and also quite a few hospitals in the area), had exploded due to the 14 foot water surge.  There is an unbelievable video link here from the security tapes.

JFK Airport deserted

The airport without a single plane!

The night of the hurricane was terrifying.  It was pitch black, there was a constant sound of howling winds & debris hitting the windows, and perhaps the most horrifying sound....hours and hours of ambulance sirens.   But what we woke up to the next morning was even worse than we could have ever imagined, and New York city didn't even sustain the worst of all the damage.  Without power, Mike and I found friends and a few bars with electricity and warm food to charge our phones and get back in touch with reality.  It wasn't until we got there that we could get a full grasp on the aftermath of the storm.  Horrifying images of the destruction flashed across the screen as people stood in silence at the bars...beer in hand....mouths open in shock. 

Gramercy Park

Without electricity, gas, and any phone signals, we were literally and figuratively "in the dark".  Because of the substation explosion, we were without electricity for almost a week, but looking at the pictures and videos of the damage, we felt lucky.  Just a few blocks east & west in the city, the flooding was devastating.  Full towns in the tri-state area and the 5 Burroughs were wiped out completely!  So many people lost their entire homes and everything....Thankfully, everyone that we love and know is accounted for, and safe.  After seeing all of the destruction, we are truly humbled and changed forever. 

Power to our apartment has since been restored as of last Friday, and we are happy to say that we've never been more excited to take a hot shower and actually have lights on in the apartment.  What's more rewarding than power and water though, is how much this city has come together during this time of crisis.  Not only were people opening up their homes to friends and family who were without power, but the tri-state area had organized donations of food, clothing and cleaning supplies to bring to people to who have nothing.  It's heartwarming that amongst this time of crisis, there is good in the world.  This catastrophe created unconventional heroes...like our doormen who stayed through the night and locked down the building to keep it safe from looters.  Or the people of NYU medical center who evacuated 200 people during the height of the Superstorm.  And the citizens of the who are eager to volunteer to help with donations and clean-up. And even the saint who brought a power strip to the only bar with electricity by our apartment. 

There is still a long way to go.  Lines for gas are several still hours long.  Some people inside and outside of Manhattan are still without power, and the temperatures are starting to drop.  Some of the damage is beyond repair and may never be the same.  One of America's toughest and most beloved cities was defeated over the past weak, and it was terrifying.  It was a sad, and uncharacteristically somber week for the area, but watching the acts of heroism and teamwork in the wake of the storm was the most proud I have ever felt to be part of this great city.  I love New York City and I love that I get to witness the resilience that is to come.  God Bless everyone who was affected by the storm, and everyone in the tri-state area.  I love my city.