One Year Ago Today... Oh, Sandy!

One year ago today, Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast. The devastation was simply mind-blowing. So on this anniversary, I thought I'd give you a look back at my own personal view of the after-effects of one very scary day and one terrifying night...

I've been absent for quite awhile because Hurricane Sandy swooped in and devastated parts of New Jersey! But, wow! We made it. We’re safe. We’re so, so, so, very lucky! Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey shore on Monday, October 29th and she was relentless. I’m sure many of you saw the destruction she caused on TV. It’s really heartbreaking. 

this gazebo is from the OTHER side of the lake!!

I live 3 blocks from the shore and 2 blocks from a lake and the Atlantic Ocean actually came up to our front steps!

I had some damage to the third floor studio. . . an entire piece of wall caved in during the height of the storm! 

And it was just me bracing myself against it at the height of the storm with 70mph winds, while I tried to drag a dresser over to keep it from completely caving in! Then we found a neighbor to help us batten down the hatches and as he was putting the last screw in.... Poof! The electricity went out. And stayed out for 11 days. Yes, 11 days. It was cold. I was cranky. It was a whole new world. An Amish life. It was like indoor camping. Not only that but our cellphone towers were knocked out. So there was no way to communicate with friends and loved ones for quite a few days. 

We're back up and running now and I'm trying to catch up on 2 weeks worth of life, work and sleep! I could tell you all the stories I heard, but I'm sure you all saw more than me on the television (that we were without for nearly 2 weeks!). So I'll just let the pictures tell most of the story of our little square mile that is Ocean Grove... which was lucky!

Neighbor's gigantic that did not hit our house!!

Lots of fish on the streets and sidewalks.

End of pier and fishing house gone!

The debris and cars just floated everywhere. This is a few blocks in from the beach.

And so is this!

Bulldozers piled all the sand from the roads back up toward the beach before another Nor'Easter hit only days later!

The boardwalk actually has so many peaks and valleys now... that it looks like a roller coaster. But the funny thing about the shore and the people that live here is that they were walking on it like nothing ever happened. We're just like that. We live at the shore. These things happen. We stay strong and we rebuild. We work together and help each other. Neighbors helping neighbors. And that's the beauty that comes out of something like this. Amen!

Update: So other than the third floor damage you saw in my post, we had flooding in the basement and plenty of roofing issues with the high winds from the hurricane. After lots and lots and lots of conversations with the insurance company and FEMA, all the construction and replacement work has finally been completed. Our tiny town of Ocean Grove is actually back up and running. But I cannot say the same for others. In times of distress we really do help each other and work together... but the point of all this is to remember that's the way it's supposed to be all the time. So let's not forget it. Let's not make it take more disasters to remember. We are all in this thing we call life... together. So let's just help each other out all the time.

Michelle
xoxo