[NOTE: I am working on some donation avenues for the communities most impacted by Sandy. I hope to post something in the next 48 hours. Stay tuned!]
Well it has been a week since Hurricane Sandy left her mark on the New York metropolitan area, and depending on who you ask, things are improving. One sibling is still camping out at my folks house with their family (latest power restoration status is THANKSGIVING!) and the other sibling just got their power back yesterday, which was HUGE cause for celebration.
I am getting lots of questions about what is actually happening on the ground. So for my non-NYC metro friends who do not know people impacted, I'll share what I reading on my family/friends posts on Facebook and Twitter vs. what is being reported in the news. I probably won't be able to do it justice, but I will do my best to document the challenges that I am reading about.
I'll make a huge disclaimer that everyone working towards recovery efforts is doing everything they can to make things better. As you can imagine, not enough resources exist to handle what Sandy left in her wake. Power crews, FEMA, 1st responders, National Guard, community agencies, Red Cross, etc. That said, a bunch of my friends are having problems with FEMA. In spite of what was promised by federal officials, many of my friends are running into plenty of red tape and delays. Insurance adjusters are overwhelmed as you can imagine.
If someone needs to relocate because their house was destroyed or was severely damaged in the storm, most likely their possessions were also in the same category. That means a person needs replacement items for themselves, and their family if applicable. While many donations are coming in, it probably will not be enough for all of the people that are in need because so many people have been left with nothing but a garbage bag they packed as they evacuated.
These are things that really the Red Cross and FEMA cannot help with. And insurance checks will not be arriving for awhile. The reality is that this can be mitigated by one thing - cash or a gift card to Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Being able to pick up some pots/pans, linens, clothes, sneakers, school supplies (more on that next) and other household items... I imagine being able to purchase those items can help establish a level of normalcy for the impacted families.
Speaking of school supplies, another issue associated with relocation is around schooling for kids. If a family is displaced from their home, it is possible that their child's school isn't going to be open for some time. Or perhaps they will need to relocate while their home is being rebuilt/repaired. But I have friends who are struggling where to enroll their kids because they literally do not know where they will be living, and they obviously need a plan that facilitates them getting to work to earn a living.
This break is also not like the holiday break in late December where it takes a couple of days to regain momentum. It is going to take classrooms a long time to get back up to speed on what children need to be learning. One of my friends posted something to the Governor of NY about how realistic it is going to be to adhere to the state testing schedule. It's something to be considered.
Teachers and school counselors are going to be dealing with extra trauma and challenges that families are going through, in addition to the normal workload. I cannot even comprehend the implications of a family with a special needs child and how that routine is going to be significantly disrupted.
I saw a thread on Facebook where a mother asked if she should bring her young son to their severely damaged house. He wanted to see why they couldn't go home. She was worried about how traumatic that would be for him. A debate ensued. I am not saying a right or a wrong answer exists. What I am saying is that these are the conversations that many parents will be forced to have, if they haven't already.
Other things I have observed in addition to having running water, power and a roof over your head. Gas. Like the 1970s gas shortages. Anyone remember those? The collective amount of hours that people I know spent waiting on line for gas can probably fill the hours of multiple years. For example, my brother waited in line for 3 hours, which is a relatively short period of time this week, and was 3 away from the pump. The generator used to power the gas pump died, so no gas for my brother and probably the 70 cars behind him in line. I wish I was exaggerating.
Most people need gas to get to work, even if you do take mass transit. Most people do not live within walking distance of mass transit in the communities hit the hardest. And people want to go back to work for obvious reasons (getting paid is good as well as for sanity), but we have people who are concerned about being able to get gas if they have to travel a certain distance daily. Some people are lucky in that they can work remotely, but many are not. Furthermore some folks have jobs where if they are not "on the job" in person, they do not get paid. Marc and I are fortunate that we do not have that issue, but others are not so lucky.
My point of this is just to convey that so many issues exist for many people to confront in a very short time. I believe they will overcome them, but some help will be required. I am working on how others outside of the area can make more directed charitable contributions to the area's recovery.
Thanks for reading. And for those who are still living the nightmare of Sandy, thoughts and prayers are with you.
Well it has been a week since Hurricane Sandy left her mark on the New York metropolitan area, and depending on who you ask, things are improving. One sibling is still camping out at my folks house with their family (latest power restoration status is THANKSGIVING!) and the other sibling just got their power back yesterday, which was HUGE cause for celebration.
I am getting lots of questions about what is actually happening on the ground. So for my non-NYC metro friends who do not know people impacted, I'll share what I reading on my family/friends posts on Facebook and Twitter vs. what is being reported in the news. I probably won't be able to do it justice, but I will do my best to document the challenges that I am reading about.
I'll make a huge disclaimer that everyone working towards recovery efforts is doing everything they can to make things better. As you can imagine, not enough resources exist to handle what Sandy left in her wake. Power crews, FEMA, 1st responders, National Guard, community agencies, Red Cross, etc. That said, a bunch of my friends are having problems with FEMA. In spite of what was promised by federal officials, many of my friends are running into plenty of red tape and delays. Insurance adjusters are overwhelmed as you can imagine.
If someone needs to relocate because their house was destroyed or was severely damaged in the storm, most likely their possessions were also in the same category. That means a person needs replacement items for themselves, and their family if applicable. While many donations are coming in, it probably will not be enough for all of the people that are in need because so many people have been left with nothing but a garbage bag they packed as they evacuated.
These are things that really the Red Cross and FEMA cannot help with. And insurance checks will not be arriving for awhile. The reality is that this can be mitigated by one thing - cash or a gift card to Wal-Mart, Target, etc. Being able to pick up some pots/pans, linens, clothes, sneakers, school supplies (more on that next) and other household items... I imagine being able to purchase those items can help establish a level of normalcy for the impacted families.
Speaking of school supplies, another issue associated with relocation is around schooling for kids. If a family is displaced from their home, it is possible that their child's school isn't going to be open for some time. Or perhaps they will need to relocate while their home is being rebuilt/repaired. But I have friends who are struggling where to enroll their kids because they literally do not know where they will be living, and they obviously need a plan that facilitates them getting to work to earn a living.
This break is also not like the holiday break in late December where it takes a couple of days to regain momentum. It is going to take classrooms a long time to get back up to speed on what children need to be learning. One of my friends posted something to the Governor of NY about how realistic it is going to be to adhere to the state testing schedule. It's something to be considered.
Teachers and school counselors are going to be dealing with extra trauma and challenges that families are going through, in addition to the normal workload. I cannot even comprehend the implications of a family with a special needs child and how that routine is going to be significantly disrupted.
I saw a thread on Facebook where a mother asked if she should bring her young son to their severely damaged house. He wanted to see why they couldn't go home. She was worried about how traumatic that would be for him. A debate ensued. I am not saying a right or a wrong answer exists. What I am saying is that these are the conversations that many parents will be forced to have, if they haven't already.
Other things I have observed in addition to having running water, power and a roof over your head. Gas. Like the 1970s gas shortages. Anyone remember those? The collective amount of hours that people I know spent waiting on line for gas can probably fill the hours of multiple years. For example, my brother waited in line for 3 hours, which is a relatively short period of time this week, and was 3 away from the pump. The generator used to power the gas pump died, so no gas for my brother and probably the 70 cars behind him in line. I wish I was exaggerating.
Most people need gas to get to work, even if you do take mass transit. Most people do not live within walking distance of mass transit in the communities hit the hardest. And people want to go back to work for obvious reasons (getting paid is good as well as for sanity), but we have people who are concerned about being able to get gas if they have to travel a certain distance daily. Some people are lucky in that they can work remotely, but many are not. Furthermore some folks have jobs where if they are not "on the job" in person, they do not get paid. Marc and I are fortunate that we do not have that issue, but others are not so lucky.
My point of this is just to convey that so many issues exist for many people to confront in a very short time. I believe they will overcome them, but some help will be required. I am working on how others outside of the area can make more directed charitable contributions to the area's recovery.
Thanks for reading. And for those who are still living the nightmare of Sandy, thoughts and prayers are with you.