Tuesday, October 30, 2012

City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York.

Many thanks to all you kind folks who sent caring messages as that strange and powerful Hurricane Sandy made her way to and through the New York City area.

We were all given adequate advance warnings about Sandy's unique size and path, and were able to get to our homes or other safe destinations before the City's public transport systems all shut down at 7 p.m. Sunday evening.

From that point on, I joined millions of other folks in a pre-storm vigil.  We had lots of rain and strong winds beginning late Sunday night and continuing all yesterday, before Sandy made her actual appearance hereabouts.  My limited window views indicated not much increase in the rain, but a very great increase in the wind.  

Monday night also featured a full moon, and the tides were record breakers in all shoreline areas here in NYC and also in neighboring Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

River and ocean water did not stay in the rivers or the Atlantic.  This became a huge problem affecting our electrical sources.

Around 10 pm last night vast parts of Manhattan, below 34th Street (think of Macy's or the Empire State Building) lost electricity.


I am going to share some sketchy photographs I took of my television screen last night to show you all a bit of what was being communicated by our local media.

The following photos show attempt to use sandbags to protect the electrical rail tracks before water entered the rail tunnels.  This morning, we have no idea when mass public transportation will be able to resume service.


I admit that it's taken me a while to figure out just what the next photo actually shows.  It's Times Square.  See the yellow marquee of The Lion King on the left of the photo?  The shows obviously did not go on last night and most likely won't go on tonight either. 


The following picture is of the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.  Water, water everywhere.


And here's an on scene reporter showing just how deep water was in a particular part of town.


Earlier in the afternoon, a giant crane being used in constructing what will be NYC's tallest residential building (on West 57 Street near Sixth Avenue) collapsed in the strong wind.  The entire surrounding area was closed to all traffic and buildings were evacuated.  Scary stuff indeed!


Another scary effect of the storm was the need to evacuate all patients from the 18-story tall New York University Hospital after electricity went out and not all the hospital's back-up generators could perform.  Patients are still being evacuated this morning...remember, no elevators were working.

And so, you all can have a bit of a view of what we have experienced and the vast challenge facing now facing us to get back to normal.  The damage is unprecedented.  No one can accurately predict just how long it will take to get electrical service and public transportation restored.

I will keep you all updated.  Meanwhile, I do count my blessings.

36 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update, Frances. Glad you are safe! Does seem pretty scary.
    So easy to forget that New York is a coastal city or that hurricanes arrive in those parts. Hope your Central Park trees were OK.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Frances:
    With great relief we read that you are safe and well. The news we have seen has been absolutely dreadful and our hearts go out to all those who are experiencing distress. The scale of the damage and disruption looks to be beyond our imagination and we can well see that it will be a considerable time before things can be remotely thought to be 'normal' once again.

    We are keeping you close, dear Frances, in our thoughts. Take the greatest of care and stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So pleased you are safe and sound.
    My family is also.
    Did not sleep last night worrying about them.
    Now the cleanup and hopefully subhway will begin to once again run...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Frances, I just came to ask whether you were well and found this post. I'm so glad you are safe, but am still worried about the unprecedented situation in New York and the area! The news on the TV last evening were really scary. It must be a very hard trial, but the sun ALWAYS appears on the sky! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So good to hear that you weathered the storm safely!
    Horrible to watch the devastation Sandy has brought to your fair city and up and down the East Coast.
    At my friend's place a neighbor's house got hit by a huge falling oak tree. Thank heaven no one was injured or the damage to the house turned out to be minor, after all.
    Stay warm and safe, Frances,
    hugs,
    Merisi

    ReplyDelete
  6. All we experienced of Sandy last Friday was a bit of Palm Tree floating in the hotel pool... I could not believe the images I woke up to this morning. So very pleased you are safe and sound x

    ReplyDelete
  7. So glad you are safe and well. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's good to hear from you, Frances. We've been watching the storm unfold across our screen too. Battery Park looks so different on the TV from when I last saw it - and Ground Zero. It really shows the overwhelming power of the elements unleashed. Keep taking care of yourself. Cx

    ReplyDelete
  9. You've been very much in my thoughts and I'm relieved to hear you are safe, Frances!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So glad to hear you are safe, Frances. I thought of you last night when our news showed a map of exactly where hurricane Sandy was headed.
    Your pictures here are very interesting to see.
    Keep safe and cosy.
    Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Glad you are keeping safe Frances, I hope the worst of the storm is now over. It looked horrible on tv here.

    Helenxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. So scary, but so glad you are safe, Frances. Take care and God bless, xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good to hear you are safe Frances. The pictures we are seeing on our news channels of NY and the whole E coast of the US are shocking.
    It' hard to imagine the task ahead to get things cleaned up and back to working order.

    Thinking of you all.
    Celia
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Frances, I find it hard to imagine the horror of it all, the fears, the panics. Those poor people in the hospital must have felt so frightened.
    So thankful that you are safe.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glad to hear from you Frances, and that your news is good.

    There are so many brave people out there aren't there, working to keep the city and it's people safe?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Frances, You have been in my thoughts on and off all day - I'm so glad you are safe which is the important thing. Let's hope everything gets back to normal soon. We experienced a hurricane when we lived in Boston and had a tree fall on our house so I know how scary it feels to hear that wind and rain howling outside. Stay safe. x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Glad you survived unharmed. Your friends on Purple Coo were keeping you in their thoughts xxx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Dear Frances,
    I am glad you are safe and sound.
    Take care, keep warm and stay at home!
    Ingrid xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a relief to know you are safe and sound Frances; you have been in my thoughts. I have been watching it all on the TV. Hope Elizabeth is safe also?
    Take care x()

    ReplyDelete
  20. So glad you are OK. Thanks for the personal report. I wish the best for you and all New Yorkers.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Frances,
    Glad to here you are safe, it must have been a very worrying time for you all. Take care. x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Frances, thanks for the view from your vantage point -- so glad the damage was not worse. Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  23. So glad you're safe :D

    The footage we are seeing here shows the devastation, and we are all thinking of our East Coast friends x

    ReplyDelete
  24. oh dear frances,
    thank you for the report, and to know you are safe. i slept very little last night worrying about my two kids that live there (brooklyn). luckily they prepared in advance and stayed put. they stayed in touch, even though phones kept cutting out. this morning my daughter told me about the incredible flooding. mother nature is the boss, absolutely.
    take good care, lori

    ReplyDelete
  25. It's so good to read that you are safe and warm and dry. The reports out of NYC were horrifying - couldn't believe the photos on the news last night. I hope you're able to stay inside until things are a little more normal.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Glad you are still safe. Coo friends kept one another updated on conversations with you, so I knew you were OK.

    Now, to get the underground and lighting back to normal.

    Blessings and Bear hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have thought of you often as I followed the weather reports, so it is good to know that you have been safely out of harms way. It must have been very scary listening to the wind howl but New Yorkers are survivors and I hope that you get back to normal soon.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Dear Frances, Have been thinking of you. Am so relieved to hear from you. Please stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have been thinking of you every time I watched yet another news programme about the situation in NYC. Perhaps we saw the same pictures as you did, our reporters were full-on the whole time the storm lasted.

    I am so glad you are safe and to judge by this post, you have electricity. Stay safe and dry, if you can and keep us updated.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thank you so much for the update. Stay safe and take care.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am glad I heard your voice on BBC !
    You have such a good radio voice and speak so much better than a lot of reporters. Well done Frances.
    Take care stay safe xxx

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello all...Ivy refers to my actually being on BBC London Radio's Joanne Good's programme on 10/30.

    If you all would like to hear it, you can access the Listen Again feature at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00zn3vp

    I show up about an hour and 16 minutes into the programme.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hello dear Frances,

    Pleased to hear you are safe and well, we were all worried about you.

    It was really lovely listening to you on the BBC Radio London, Frances, thanks for the link.

    Thinking of you.

    Love Camilla.xx

    ReplyDelete
  34. Dear Frances, I was happy to read your comment on my blog and know that you are safe. It must have been a horrible experience. I hope things will be back to normal again soon. The Christmas cards you are painting sound good. I hope you will show them on your blog! I am still working on a plaid with granny squares I started two years ago. :-)

    Have a lovely Sunday!

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
  35. Excellent reporting, Frances

    did you hear of the new Manhattan neighborhood
    SoPo........

    south of power!
    quite funny
    see you very soon I hope.

    ReplyDelete