Green
Dec 13 2012
Sandy Assignment

Super Storm Sandy vs. New York

Hurricane Sandy in my opinion was undeniably the most powerful storm the state of New York has ever encountered. Being yet another component in America’s history is something worth bragging about. Unfortunately my bragging falls on the expense of the state. Witnessing 9-11, living through the Depression, seeing Americas first African American President and now surviving Hurricane Sandy are all historical events in which I lived through to tell siblings. Hurricane Sandy was a storm that opened the eyes of New Yorkers to the devastating actions Mother Nature can act out upon us. New York is a state where the biggest environmental threats we face include snow, sleet, hail, and strong winds. Not in my lifetime would I’ve ever imagined my birth state, New York being trampled by such an angry storm. Not too long ago we experienced a similar devastation, her name was Hurricane Irene. That particular storm was the first time I seen the streets and homes I see everyday get ruined by Mother Nature. Trees feel on houses, electrical wires hang from their poles, and slight power outages roamed the neighborhoods. The difference between Irene and Sandy is, Sandy was much more powerful and caused seven times more damage. For me personally, the beginning of Sandy seemed as if it wasn’t going to meet the expectations of the “oh so frantic” news reporters. My boyfriend, my best- friend and myself patiently prepared for Sandy by watching movies and indulging in foods inside my sunroom the night of the storm. Around 10 o clock at night is when the real movie began. Winds began to smack against my windows as the heavy rains washed my house and car. Roaring whistles sounded the gloomy night as we curiously waited for the “works” to begin. Little did we know it has already begun. Amityville is a town surrounded by water. Beaches and broad walks are only three minutes away from my home. So With that being said, the surrounding neighborhoods have been evacuated in order to avoid fatalities and injuries. Sooner than later we began to hear fire sirens going off left and right. We peered out the windows to only see a brutal hurricane forming. Outside of my house looked like a scene from a murder mystery: gloomy, scary, and tragic. What drew my immediate attention as I looked outside was the big tree across the street from my house. It looked as if it was one hard blow away from meeting the ground. To past the time my friends and I just continued what we were doing which included watching Netflix and playing the Wii. Twelve o’clock hit; my house goes blind. The huge tree across the street demolished the entire blocks electrical life line. All of a sudden a wave of nervousness splashed my body. I realized that I would be subjected into sleeping in my freezing cold, dark house all by myself the once my friends left. At the same time my best- friend, who only lives around the corner from me also found out that her power went out. My boyfriend, who lives in Queens, was the only one out the three of us who had electricity, so we decided to drive to his house. The Southern State parkway was in a form that I’ve never seen before! Besides the complete darkness hindering our ability to drive at our best, branches ranging from big to even bigger laid on the roads forming a maze for us to hopefully maneuver through. The chaotic roads we faced were just the beginning of the many obstacles Sandy forced upon us. My boyfriend’s house was a safe haven due to the fact he had working electricity and heat. Lucky for him, he just took on two new roommates throughout the duration of “Sandy”. If it weren’t for him, my best friend and I would’ve been stuck in our frigid homes for that entire week. Actually my mom inherited a hotel room at the Hilton due to her job position. She’s a vital employee within the National Grid company, so they gave her a paid room for two weeks. Only thing is, my step