A Year Since Sandy

Local news coverage has been dominated by tales from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which was a combination of a post-tropical storm and a "winter" storm that converged on the Eastern Seaboard. My personal experience of Sandy wasn't exactly pleasant, I had to move about half a ton of material on the job as the storm bore down on the NY metro area, then I camped out in a cold, dark workplace because my coworkers were stymied by downed trees and flooded roads, besides, there was no gasoline to be had, so I was better off hunkering down than sitting in a gas line or at the side of a highway. I ended up staying on the job for a thirty-two hour endurance tour, with no heat or electricity, before the power was restored a week after the storm hit. Yeah, it wasn't pleasant, but I was one of the lucky ones... I live on a hill, away from the coast. The power never went out at Casa de Bastard... I was okay, the house was okay, work was acceptable. I lost nothing more than sleep while many lost everything.

Certain communities will never be the same. People's lives have been irrevocably harmed due to the loss of loved ones or homes.

Yesterday, I ran into my friend Mary Courtney, who was involved in benefit concerts on behalf of Sandy victims. A year after the storm, the topic is still very much on the minds of residents of the Tri-State Area. While grassroots relief efforts did incredible work, there are still claims to be paid, neighborhoods to renovate or raze, and displaced persons to find homes for. I'm not complaining about my week of discomfort and inconvenience.