Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S Post Hurricane SANDY Report

Written by T.D Moody

For many of us living in the Tri-State area waking up in the wake of Hurricane Sandy seems surreal.  I liken it to the shock and disbelief I felt on 9/11/ 01.  Each passing day the news broadcasts for those of us who still have power thank God, are a constant reminder that what seems surreal in the aftermath is in fact very real.  As a resident of New York City I have a greater appreciation now more than even during Katrina because this catastrophe hit close to home.  Generally speaking, I think most people only comprehend tragedies in the shoes of others when they themselves have had a similar or the same experience.

You hear all the time about the tornadoes in the southern U.S. and the tropical storms and Hurricanes that hit the Caribbean.  You see the destruction left in their wake but to have it happen so close to home and to see such loss and loss of life it truly is a wake up call.  We are very small in the grand scheme of the universe and to see what nature can do to us is frightening to say the least.  I thanked God things for myself and my family weren’t nearly as bad as others have experienced.  I can’t imagine how I, let alone my family would be handling things if everything we owned was lost overnight.  I don’t want to know what it feels like to only possess what you’re wearing on your back and no place to go.

Many friends of mine are directly affected by this storm living in Lower Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania some have no power and aren’t able to go to work.  Some said even if they could get to their offices there is no power where they work.  The economic impact of this storm I only began to consider when I realized for the 3rd day in a row I myself had been unable to go to work due to the fact that there is no power below 34th Street where my work place is located and secondly there being no subway service to get there.

I sat listening to the news reports all day long waiting to hear about the restoration of power by ConEd to Lower Manhattan.  I heard the news I needed to hear after some devastating images of the wake of Sandy and those directly impacted was shown.  A ConEd rep stated that power to lower Manhattan would be restored by Saturday  11/3/12.  I like many other residents and working class citizens will be grateful to know that very soon we can start to resume a normal day of work and begin to pick ourselves up and move forward after this storm.  For many others it’s picking up the pieces of a life in immediate ruins and having to rebuild entire lives from scratch.  I pray they are able to recover sooner than later.

And yet while I have this sense of optimism I shudder to think about the possibility that we could get another storm like Sandy hitting us in the same fashion shortly after we’ve just experienced Sandy.  Even more disturbing is the realization that we human beings are at the mercy of nature.  Could it be nature perhaps is responding to mankind for it’s destruction and pillaging worldwide?  I think it possible and plausible.  Whether it’s probable I don’t know.  What I do know is that I find it funny that many who claim not to believe in God will at times such as now claim Sandy as an ‘”act of God”.  I can see lots of insurance claims potentially being rejected with that clause as the get out of jail free card for the insurance company.   “I’m sorry for your loss sir but under your policy we don’t cover acts of God.  Have a good day.”