Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy's Not So Dandy


It seems I can remember a time when I thought living on the East Coast was truly a weather blessing. Sure, we get belted with snow in the long and hard winters on the East Coast, but if you live here, that's what you sign up for. We also get glorious, sweltering summers, like the one I am looking at in the rearview mirror right about now. I also remember, years ago listening to National news reports about frequent earthquakes on the West Coast and severe storms, twisters and flooding in the Midwestern parts of the country. I used to think that stuff only happened to other people. The ones out there. Not us here in the East.

But over the past couple of years our luck has run out. It's like payback for all that good weather karma, and we really are making up for lost time, fast. In the past two years alone, our region has been hit with devastating, severe storms, tornadoes (virtually unheard of in these parts) and ice storms more frequently than  previous history will tell. I, myself, have been affected by long lasting power outages at least three times to date. Last week we even had a "4.5  on the Richter Scale" earthquake.

So it should be of no surprise to me that yesterday, it seemed like there were millions of "Chicken Little's" running around the area, cleaning out the Home Depots of batteries and water in preparation for today's Tropical Storm Sandy. I was one of them. Gone is the warm and cozy feeling of hunkering down for a day off with family watching the storm. The fun has been replaced with worry and aggravation over the prospect of long lasting storm effects and the costly damage to homes. And I'd rather not even think about people's safety. It's not so fun anymore.

Preparing for severe weather has become a competitive sport around here and some become the envy of the neighborhood with their storm prowess. Personally, I'd rather be popular in the neighborhood for my grilling prowess, but who's complaining? This has become our "new normal" and I've got to ride it out and say my prayers. Sandy, please spare us all your wrath. These frequent Tropical Storms are messing with our lives and our livelihoods. Last year Halloween was CANCELLED, and if this continues as it's supposed to, this year is not looking promising either. Have you ever? Rescheduling Halloween?

This "new normal" just isn't normal at all. I pray that everyone rides out Sandy's wrath in safety. May the "force" of storm preparedness be with us and not the force of the storm. Please, not the force of the storm.


7 comments:

Furtheron said...

Doesn't look fun - thinking of all my friends in the North East corridor... stay safe

Heff said...

I'm just glad that THIS TIME, I get to sit back and watch.

Usually WE get hit with these damn things.

Good Luck, and be careful.

Anonymous said...

It's Bush's fault.

Anonymous said...

Oh NO!!! My TOMMY!!!!!

Cora said...

Ugh. We are thinking of you guys. Hang in there.

Scope said...

Thinking about a new resident of New York City. Hope she's safe and sound.

the walking man said...

I hope you all ride it out in safety and with a minimal amount of damage. except fr Wall Street that could collapse into a subway tunnel and nothing but good would come from that.

Oh yeah here in Detroit we cancelled Halloween 30 years ago so I don't see where you have lost anything there.

You do know it's Romney's fault for being a resident of Utah and becoming governor of MA. That is karma coming in to bite ya'll in the ass. But don't worry Obama will give you billions to clean up where Ryan would say you have to do it on your own.

You're correct whata mess and there is no such thing as climate change, it's all just a cruel trick of the Atlantic not having it's El Nino in the Pacific.