Well hello! You guys are so cute. We are totally fine. We have a whole-house generator with a an u/g propane tank that could last about 2 weeks (PO did this). Most of our town is out ( we are in Southern CT in Fairfield County).

My biggest problem has been internet w/drawal. : ) We just got internet today.

The beachhouse is still there and intact (too bad, might have spared us tearing it down). We put in a bid last Sunday and have gone back and forth 4 times now, as of a an hour ago. We are still almost 10% apart. I am not going higher. So we will see.

We lost three very large trees, which just kills me. That makes five large ones since we bought the house. I get so much pleasure from their beauty, and they truly cannot be replaced. We are talking some that 40-50 feet or more. (just my guess).

One we lost was near the secondary driveway and not a huge deal. The other two are very near each other, and provide screening for the only other structure you can see for 360 degress when you are in our backyard (the only visible neighbor). With the trees we had, even that structure totally disappears in summer. Now. I am not sure. Plus that property has been bought by a neighbor who is tearing it down to build a barn to store his car collection. I know they will build something very nice and very tasteful, but it does add uncertainty to how we should landscape there. Sigh.

We lost this guy:

And this guy, too, in an area to the far side of our house, that we call the courtyard. In the photo above, behind the "x-ed out" tree, is a stone structure with clerestory windows. On the other side of that structure is the "courtyard"

Oh and Happy Belated Birthday BronwynsMom!

Mnt, glad you are ok! I was a bit worried about one or more of those many tree's falling on your house.

Sorry about your trees -- they truly cannot be replaced, not in the short term, anyway. But how lucky you are to have a tree that knew to fall away from the house. ;-)

You mentioned the whole house generator before, but glad to hear you are safe. No generator would help much if you had a tree -- or two or three, in the middle of the house.

I'm ok. We made it through with power, surprisingly. And thankfully all of my family made it through as well. Just so sad, beyond sad for the rising death toll in my hometown of Staten Island, NY. They just found the bodies of 2 siblings aged 2 and 4. I'm sure many of you saw the tanker that washed onto shore on SI, I believe it was shown on CNN. I wonder why they aren't reporting about all the bodies they are finding there. Now people are getting desperate and siphoning gas from cars because no one has power the gas lines are miles long. The looters are out and about as well. I'm so grateful my family in Staten Island is ok, but now I'm afraid for their safety. My sister won't leave her house and come to me because she doesn't want to waste her gas. I'm just so heartsick. I wish it were all a bad dream.

There is a special place in hell for looters who take advantage of people who have suffered grave losses.
Right next to the people who are cruel to animals...

Polly, I'm fearlessly violating my rule about not speaking for other people when I say all of us are pulling for you and for the safety of your family on Staten Island.

oh polly, I've been so hoping there would be a happy ending to the story I saw about the Staten Island mother whose 2 and 4 years olds were pulled from her arms while out in the SUV.... many prayers being sent to your sister and the others so terribly affected....

Thank you, I can't stop crying over this story. The father is a sanitation worker with a friend of mine, my brother works for sanitation. They were called into work the day of the storm. I believe the Dad was at work when this happened because he couldn't get home in the storm. My heart is in my throat and my stomach in knots over this. The devestation there is just beyond what anyone could ever imagine.

I am going to go and bring donations to one of the shelters tomorrow. I'm actually a bit afraid to go because of the rising tempers, but I can't sit back and see that kind of devestation and heartache and not do anything.

My heart breaks for all of those who have lost so much. Praying for healing and comfort for all of you (and families and friends) who have been affected.

Is anyone watching 30 Rock Center right now? They are showing all the devastation from Sandy. They did show Staten Island and it is just horrible! I had no idea. Now we may get a Nor'easter at the beginning of next week. Enough already.

Polly, I'm so sorry. You know that if you aren't in the middle of things, you hear from those who are least impacted first and the harder ones come as time goes on. So, so sad about the two siblings. But don't let fear keep you from extending a hand and giving what you can. After Katrina I helped at a shelter and it seemed all summer (after Rita too), I kept going through my linens and closets and digging deeper. I heard some stories about people getting out of hand here and there, but I never saw anything frightening in person, and I did feel better knowing I had done what I could.

We all have to do what we can -- those of us safely distant from this one too. You, your family, the parents of those two children and everyone suffering through the aftermath of this storm will be in my thoughts and prayers. The first days are shocking and difficult, but hang in there -- it will get better and the good in people will persevere.

We're okay . With so many tragic stories out there, being without power seems pretty insignifant. Our area in Bucks County, Pa, got hit hard by the storm. We've been without power since Monday night as have most of the towns around us because of fallen trees. We lost 12 large trees, but luckily only 1 was near the house and the rest were in the woods. Two of those in the woods came down on our power line that comes up though the woods before it's buried underground near the top of the ravine. The power company isn't responsible that far in from the road so we've been waiting for our tree guy to free the line and then we have to get our electrician out here. The electric company still has to deal with the power along the road because one of their poles snapped in half. We're looking at more days without power, phone and cable. Yay for wireless!!!

I've been amusing myself with a battery operated radio. Some of the news stations fade in and out, but there's a talk radio station that comes in clearly from Brick, NJ near the northern shore points. People call in from that area and all the way down towards Princeton. Today's major gripe was the hour or longer wait at the gas pumps. Our pumps in PA are busier now because people from NJ are coming here to fill up their gas tanks and cans to run their generators. I heard on the radio that not just gas but generators were being stolen from their owner's yards.

On the other hand you hear some good stories too. Yesterday some people were complaining that their power wasn't come on soon enough and they thought the electric guys weren't working up to speed. A woman called in questioning what was wrong with these people because she was preparing meals and going around to the workers inviting them all to her house for dinner. Another woman from Princeton called today to ask for donations of supplies like hand sanitizers, Lysol, bleach and food that wouldn't need to be cooked that she was taking to the first responders on Long Beach Island. She had already dropped off a number of porta potties because they're were no facilities for the workers. The station is 101.5. I think it's FM. NJ101.5.com.

One last thing. I tried to get a hotel room just to warm up, take a shower and watch a little tv, and there are no rooms to be had anywhere within 45 minutes from here. The B and B's have no power.

We are without power yet and most likely will be until Monday...

Chickadee, you might check with your town. Here the schools are open for showers and charging stations, the police station has fresh water and meals ready to eat, some of the churches are open for warming up, the senior center is also open for warming and charging.

Also we have a chain of fitness centers called planet fitness which, if they have power, are allowing non members in to use the showers as well...

So there is help out there. Our town has reverse 911 and is calling residents once a day with a status update....very helpful.

Ded, I watched 30 Rock and was just horrified. I have a question for you all in the area. What do you think about the marathon in NYC this weekend not being canceled? On the news just now they showed those huge generators sitting idly by in Central Park for the marathon when they could be used for a greater cause.

I'm a runner, and I can certainly understand NYC wanting to gain the monetary benefits from the marathon, which is huge. But I think it should have been postponed.

After all the tornadoes that ripped thru North Alabama in 2011, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was cancelled. Folks concentrated on welfare of people and clean-up.

How does a person give supplies where the people can get it right away? I'm watching the news and a lady was on saying how people with children need socks, shoes, jackets, diapers and such. How come these things are not available now?

Here is the text of an email I sent around earlier in the week. I have done a fair amount of work for non-profits, and wanted people to be aware of these things:

When you are making decisions about how to help the people who have been so horribly clobbered, please check out the helping organizations first, unless you already know them.

I expect many of you already know this, but predators love situations like this, and new phony charities spring up like weeds.

Here's some information from the TIME newsfeed, with information about who is doing what, and how to check on anyone who asks you for money.

If you plan to donate to any nonprofit, check the organization's authenticity first. CNN recommends using charity evaluators like Guidestar and Charity Navigator to verify that the group you're donating to is established and that your funds will go where you intend. (emphasis added)

The Salvation Army is sending hygiene kits, first aid supplies and mobile feeding units to storm victims. It encourages people to text the word "STORM" to 80888 to make a $10 donation. They can also donate by visiting the website or calling 800-SAL-ARMY.

Save the Children has sent emergency teams to assist children and families. Click here to donate.

World Vision is providing emergency food and flood clean-up kits. To donate, visit here.

The Humane Society of the United States and American Humane association are rescuing and providing shelters for animals. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has set up 4,000 shelter units in New York with water rescue units on call. All three organizations are seeking donations.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read more here

One more point.

Unless you have specific information from a bona fide chairty requesting something very specific, and you are able to deliver to where it is needed, only donate money.

I have seen a lot of silliness and waste in the name of relief efforts. A local school in my old town did a canned food drive, and ended up spending 1500 to get a truck to take it to LA. That's wasteful and inefficient.

Or the piles of winter coats (?) that people sent to Tsunami victims.

Don't tie up logistical infrastructure and personnel with trying to receive, store, sort and distribute a heterogeneous mound of donated goods. Err on the side of sending money.

You are so right mtnrdredux.

We had a major tornado in a nearby county this spring where the entire town was just about wiped out. They did not have the logistcal infrastructure to deal with a lot of the donated goods. When homes and all the businesses have been wiped out, it is difficult to find storage/distribution for TRUCKLOADS of water at one time.

The shelters, churches, schools, etc were overrun with "stuff". A family only needs so many changes of clothes and toiletries when they don't have a home. The generous people opening up their homes to provide shelter for sometimes an extra 10 people do not have storage for the extras.

And one should not clean their garages and basements to be charitable. You don't need an ironing board or a sweeper when you don't have a home.

Yes, Tuesday, you are right that some people donate anything they happen not to need. Like the people from my NYC church who would donate what looked like bridesmaid dresses for the shelter. That's what Goodwill is for...

Utterly horrific, the devastation in NJ & NY. I watch the evening news with my mouth open, shaking my head every night. The sad images and heart-breaking stories and life altering hardships are staggering.

Yes, I agree...send money. I am a believer in Catholic Charities. Very little goes to administrative costs...most of the donations received really go to work to help. CC actually is one of the worlds most active, generous and effective charities. Even if I weren't Catholic (& some days I am kind of not, lol!) I'd still feel good about supporting their relief efforts.

I have had the news on all day while doing my diy renovations and the stories are killing me. Some areas have seen mostly no help at all save for the National Guard showing up. Toilet paper appears to be a great luxury right now. I guess that looting has been a big problem, lots of walking TV sets and such. In certain areaâÂÂs tensions are getting very high and people canâÂÂt figure out why no one important has shown up.

Bridesmaid dresses? Oh dear. It's a shame you have to remind people. We were donating linens and what we could in response to requests adn driving most of it to shelters that were set up here -- no shipping or trucking it. And I promise not to donate t-shirts and Texas cottons for a NE fall and winter.

Besides shipping logistics and costs, there is a delay factor. The fastest relief and the greatest buying power generally comes from letting the large, established charities and food banks do what they do best.

I cannot believe Bloomberg would give the ok re:the marathon! I've been watching the horrific mess in Staten Island, one of the boroughs which seems to have been forgotten. Meanwhile, hotels rooms, porta potties, and bottled water will be brought in for the runners. Is this *our* America? The word *shameful* isn't a strong enough word to describe what is happening in NY!!!

Bloomberg just canceled it ( after lots of pressure)!

A new one on me...as part of the reverse 911 call, they announced that a concerned and compassionate town resident will be available to give hugs between noon and 3 in front of the police station....

The fact that the mayor of NY would even entertain holding a marathon in NY when there are still bodies being recovered in Staten Island was just absurd. Many of us are relieved it was cancelled, but the fact it wasn't done immediately was ridiculous.

I was not able to go to SI today, as I had a house full of people here at my home, charging phones, keeping warm and eating hot meals, because I am one of the lucky few that never lost power. My brother told me not to bother, because the great people of our borough are coming through for those in need. Businesses are delivering hot food to people in temporary shelters. People with homes have brought food, blankets, baby supplies in excess to those who need. The knee jerk reaction of New Yorkers in times of crisis is to help....it was the same way with 9/11. I am also trying to conserve my gas so I can report to my shifts at the hospital. The gas lines are really that bad. Some are 5 miles long.

My brother explained the utter devastation he saw today in Brooklyn. To give you an idea, an entire restaurant was ripped from it's foundation in Belle Harbor Queens and found washed ashore in Brooklyn. He saw it with his own eyes. But more tragic is the rising number of bodies being recovered. Each body with it's own family left mourning their loss, their own mark left on this world, just washed away in an act of nature.

Anyhow as some of you already know, I recently lost my father suddenly. We have an entire house of furniture and other belongings we were planning on selling on CL. All of his things will now be donated to people who need to start from scratch. We know plenty of people who will need it. Please continue to pray for the people affected by this storm. It truly is worse in real life than many of you are seeing on the news.

I'm not saying I disagree with the choice, but I will express what some of the thinking probably was for keeping the race....the goal after a disaster is always to get back to normal as soon as possible...get schools back, people back to work, food, power, etc. The marathon has been held for 40 years and running it would be a sign of a return to normal after the storm. An event adds a deadline toward which recovery efforts can aim. I've been in business mgmt long enough to know that a deadline rallies work effort like nothing else...esp when faced with what can seem like an endless task. Using a goal like that to accomplish more than you think you can, can be very effective. The race is not a bunch of guys from the neighborhood running around but an international event for which tens of thousands of people have flown in from all over the world to attend. And the race is a money maker for the city, which it will desperately need in the face of the very high cost of repair and rebuild post storm. I don't think the situation on Staten Island was completely understood until well after the storm had passed. A lot of the deaths occurred in the evacuation zones where people hadn't evacuated, and it wasn't known until workers made their way there that the situation was fully appreciated...the number of deaths has been rising for days as they learn more...far higher than expected.

So there was a lot to consider in making the decision, and new information coming in that affected the decision. It's a shame they didn't cancel it sooner to be less disruptive to the 40,000 who were planning on racing, but that's in hindsight.

Sheesh, they need to set off flares or something in Staten Island so people know where to go for the food and water. There is mostly only word of mouth on this but they are being told to check twitter or the internet. They do not have power! Those people feel like they have been forgotten.

Annie, all Bloomberg would have had to have done to see the devastation in SI was go there. He didn't. His decision to move forward with the race before 100% assessing the situation was premature. Yes there are people in Zone A that didn't evacuate and now they are pulling out bodies, which could have been prevented if they had. However, Zone B and Zone C flooded as well. My sister is actually Zone C (I thought she was Zone B) and she is now throwing out an entire family room of stuff. She is just grateful she still has a house.

The marathon's been cancelled, according to the latest news I've seen.

We're still without power. Power company message was that we were getting it by 4 p.m. Thursday, then by 11 p.m. Friday; now it's by noon tomorrow. It could have been a lot worse around here, so I'm not complaining too much. I do think it would be a lot better if the power co. message had told us power would be on within 12 - 24 hours, or even that they couldn't estimate when. It's the expectation, which is then dashed, that's frustrating.

But like I said, it could have been quite bad. Last really big storm, I was 30 seconds between my stopped car (and me standing outside it, at the mailbox) and the precise spot where one of our 150 year old maples, the telephone pole, and all the wires attached to the side of the house came down. When I am tempted to whinge or rant, I merely recall that event, and everything seems a lot better!

chickadee2, are you in Tinicum? We heard that some parts of it aren't expected to get power until around Thanksgiving. The problem is all the downed telephone poles there. If you want to get warm, try one of the firehouses. Plumstead's cafe, Embers, serves food and good coffee and even better espresso, Mon-Fri until about 2 p.m. I'm doing this from Doylestown's library - lights! warmth! I have a pass to one of the health clubs, and I'll probably have to use it if I want a shower.

We're near Point Pleasant. All we know is that there's some kind of equipment problem that, as of this a.m., they've not been able to diagnose. Much of our area now has power; we're one of about 50 that still doesn't - or so we heard. I've not even tried to drive River Road, but it's probably OK by now.

As of this a.m., from what I'd heard, the entire town of Lambertville, NJ, was still without power.

I'm wondering how others in the area are doing. We have friends who own horses, and those guys drink a lot of water...the horses, not our friends. ;) Also wondering about a relative who owns (owned?) a house right at the tip of Amagansett. A friend who has (probably had) a house on Long Beach Island. Two friends, husband & wife, with a house at the Jersey shore.

Wahoo! We have power! Nothing like losing something to make you appreciate it!

We came back from an event this pm and came up a main drag through town....this road wasnt open for days after the storm and we couldn't understand why...until we saw it. Nearly a mile long stretch along the reservoir where every tall pine was knocked over, both sides of the street. Looked almost like it was swept by a tornado. Amazing.

I have some first hand experience with Catholic Charities USA, and I second Stinkygardener's recommendation, even though I'm not Catholic myself.

I'm in northeastern Connecticut and wee were basically untouched. Some people lost their power for a few days, but it was nothing like last year's nor'easter.

I am sickened and horrified by what's happening south of here. The governmental response has been disgraceful. We knew this storm was coming two weeks ago. Why wasn't FEMA more prepared?

From personal experience Salvation Army is my charity of choice. They do excellent work. Hopefully people will be able to donate to this cause.

Actually I don't think the FEMA response has been disgraceful, and I think the utilities have done a better job, having learned from the past 2 storms. This storm was much worse and yet we got our power back sooner. They had warning that this was coming so moved crews and equipment in sooner than in the past. While I'm sure there are things that could be done to make it even better, they handled what was a surprisingly difficult storm fairly well. Just in our area alone, we met people and crews from Mich, Miss, Ala, Col, and Ottawa. That doesn't happen without pre planning.

If you look at things like Staten Island, then the major complaints shouldn't be on FEMA but on the borough president and other local govt agencies for not doing sufficient disaster planning including defining zones properly, developing emergency communication plans with residents, etc. and for not communicating effectively with the mayor and others about how bad the situation was so that it got the appropriate attention. That kind of disaster preparedness is most effectively done at the local level. The last thing you want are some Feds coming in who know nothing about your town or your situation telling you how to do things.

Lynxe, we're close. I'm in Lumberville, 1/2 mile up the hill from the river. We had some wonderful electric company guys from Louisiana here this afternoon reattach our wires to the poles. They couldn't have been nicer. They told my husband it took them 3 or 4 days to drive here. My husband couldn't remember exactly because he was so concerned about getting the hook up before they turned the power on the road. We could have easily been overlooked because of our set up here. There were lots of PECO trucks in our area and the message said we would have power by 11 pm which didn't happen. Now it's 11 tomorrow night. No trucks to be seen on our way home from Phila. 'Got a shower and a nice dinner at my daughter's. River rd. was closed going north from Bridge street in New Hope, but it's okay going south to 95. I saw that the New Hope firehouse is open for bathrooms and charging your wireless.

I heard a man from Frenchtown call in on the radio and say that Frenchtown had power, but he lives outside of town and was told he wouldn't get power until the end of next weekend. That's terrible about parts of Tinicum, but I guess we shouldn't count our chickens yet either. I agree that overall the communication from PECO and especially the county could have been much better.

I hope you get your power on soon. If you want to rant with me, I'm set up for emails here.

Those experiencing this disaster are in "shock" and don't know it. They are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder

Yes, they complain and are angry. Some have lost their homes. Some their lives. Some haven't the skills to cope or realize how lucky they actually are to be alive - even though they have no electricity and their normal life is disrupted. Many, many will need rebuilding their psyche right along with their homes and life.

Let them vent. Let them criticize and be angry. They have to place blame somewhere(even though misdirected it might be). Its the only way some can cope with what has happened.

Having lived along the SC coast (experienced Hugo's wrath) and now along the NC coast for 15 years - we live with the chance of a hurricane every season. It is the norm for us living along the coast.

For those in NE it hasn't been the norm.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

rosebud, you are right that people are in shock and needing to vent. I just wish they would vent in the right direction so that anger can be turned into useful, corrective action so mistakes aren't repeated and the next disaster is handled better and more safely...as there will always be a next disaster.

But storms not being the norm for the northeast? I would disagree. Devastating storms are always shocking and never the norm, but we have experienced 3 major storms in the last 14 months, one more devastating than the next. And NE has had its share of hurricanes and tropical storms making landfall here...the hurricane of '38, the hurricane of '44, Irene, Floyd, Gloria, Donna, Carol...not to mention that many that make landfall in the south often work their way up here as well...and that doesn't include nor'easters and blizzards of which we have had our share too....still remember the blizzard of '78 that shut down the entire state for several days...we've had tornados too, even earthquakes. About the only kind of weather we haven't had in NE is sand storms....though even the dust made it here from the days of the dustbowl in the 30s.

Oh boy...of course they are in shock.
They haven't yet reached full PTSD they just wanted food, water and warmth. There are certain areas that were very slow at getting any acknowledgment that there were suffering people there.

This is not good for neighbor down the road....I see they've since managed to remove the tree...not sure what's going to happen to the house though....so sad.

Heard from a friend who has a house on the beach...thank goodness they rebuilt their seawall a couple of years ago...he only lost his seaside porch, but the rest of the house still stands...not true for 3 of the neighbors on his street....the water undermined the foundation and the houses collapsed.

Here is a link to a great article in the WSJ. I hope that more and more folks will get out of the gas lines and get on a bike. Tempers will ease and the act of taking control will go a long way toward improving their mental health.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bike Sandy !

Power just came on -- I've never been so happy to do laundry! (Our washing machine needs a special electrical cord for the generator, and we don't have the cord.) Clean clothes, what a luxury. The last 6 days have been a quest for gas for the generator. I was starting to feel like the Road Warrior.

Belated happy birthday greetings to you, bronwynsmom!

Hi everyone. I have been watching the news off and on all week from Canada. Southern Ontario had some power outages and high wind dammage. Trees down. A Staples sign came down and killed a woman in Toronto. She went out to buy batteries in prep for the storm coming. Sad. I think that a lot of Canadians would donate but we don"t know where to do it. they had phone numbers set up to donate to the Red Cross Friday night(singers on TV to raise money for Sandy) I tried the 1- 800 telephone number but it does not go through from Canada. Tried all weekend. I was thinking that probably a lot of Canadians are wanting to donate but maybe don't know where to call. You could also text but I am thinking that maybe older people may not know how to text and I felt better about calling rather than texting. I heard they raised 23 million dollars from that program. Does anybody have the #s to text? I can not believe the devastation in the US. Wish there was something we could do to help!

Still sitting here in Monmouth county in the dark. One of our substations has been badly damaged. The gas situation seems to have eased. Our neighbor is generously sharing his genny so that our fridge and freezer have remained reasonably cold. We're trying to buy our own genny but supplies have been short.

I think the biggest issue, besides temps of 30+ degrees outside and 50s inside is the lack of info from our utility company JCPL. We have had almost no communication from them just an email , thank goodness for Verizon, once every day or so.

Helene in NJ

Annie I think you'll have to agree that the areas effected by Sandy today cannot be compared to storms of 1938 or 1944? Nor can Sandy be compared to Irene, Floyd, Gloria, Donna, Carol etc.

The infrastructure (transportation, electricity, gas) of today are MUCH larger and more complex than in 1938 or 44. The areas are more populated and more developed along the coast than 1938 or 44. Thankfully today building codes have improved and are better designed to allow structures to withstand higher wind thresholds.

Fortunately technology has advanced as well, alerting us to storms sooner than in 1938 or 44 allowing those in harms way to evacuate when told, or for those who remain, to become better prepared for what may come.

Yes, these areas experience snowstorms and blizzards and probably have (or should have) alternative heat sources - allowing them to stay warm if the electricity goes out for an extended period of time during a snowstorm.

The sources helping the area today have done this before. Perhaps not for your particular area, but have on other occasions under much worse conditions than those of Sandy.

I think people have to realize that it is going to take a long, long, long time to rebuild - and some may never. I think the important thought for those affected is to hold on. That help is out there and on the way - from all over the country. It just may not happen as quickly as they'd think or like, but its on the way.

People need to pull together to stay strong and to stay safe.

Door1, I would expect that you could donate online to the Red Cross or Salvation Army from Canada. If not, they should have an address you can mail a check to.

According to the Red Cross site, you can text 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. I also found these on AT&T's site:
Hurricane Sandy text donations
AT&T wireless customers can make a $10.00 donation for Hurricane Sandy relief by sending a text message to the following non-profit organizations. AT&T donates 100 percent of the proceeds to the charities.
American Red Cross - Text REDCROSS to 90999
Salvation Army - Text STORM to 80888
American Humane Society - Text HUMANE to 80888
Customers who would like to contribute more can send up to five text messages for a total donation of $50.00.

The link below has links to the websites for several organizations. Hope one of those works for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Help

Rosebud, I'm not sure I understand your point.

I was only taking issue with this:

...we live with the chance of a hurricane every season. It is the norm for us living along the coast.

For those in NE it hasn't been the norm.

My point was simply that in NE where I have spent my entire life, we are at least as accustomed to the threat of devastating storms as those along the coast in the SE, given that we get blizzards and ice storms in addition to hurricanes. And I wasn't comparing Sandy to the other hurricanes...only pointing out how many hurricanes have made landfall in NE.

And I don't understand some of your other points as they seem to be conflicting.

In any case, I agree that it will take a long time to recover and even longer to restore. And help always takes longer than anyone would like, because we'd all like an immediate fix. But hopefully as awareness grows of the severity of the situation, more resources will come in to address them.

blubird, Helene in NJ, I just checked the web site and they are expecting the majority to be restored by Wed 11/7. That's a long time to wait in the cold and the dark. Even with our generator, living without power was getting really old really fast. And I'm so thankful our power is back. The good news is, as the electricity is restored in more areas like ours, it will free up more utility crews to concentrate in your area too. So hopefully the pace of restoration will get faster. My thoughts are with you as you hang tough through this crisis, and I hope your power returns sooner rather than later.

Thanks lascatx. I was able to donate. So many people lost everything and some of them their loved ones. So sad.

Thankfully, our power was restored at about 6PM this evening. Contrary to rumor, which was suggesting that our substation was severely damaged and awaiting unavailable parts, the substation was repaired sufficiently to give us power.

The outside temp during the nights were unseasonably cold - somewhere around the mid-30s. The inside house temp dropped down into the mid 50s, which I can assure you is pretty bone chilling.

We have a fireplace, but unless you were on top of it, it barely provided any heat. My gas stovetop provided us with some meals; one of my fridges was a total loss; the other was sometimes on a genny with the neighbor, so I'll have to check the contents more carefully.

It was an absolute luxury to take a shower and wash my hair...a simple thing like that. And eating a meal with a light on was miraculous. My husband was turning on all the lights to their brightest - he couldn't get enough light.

Although we endured 6 days without power and heat, many others are suffering a loss of a home or of a loved one. I am truly grateful that at most we were very uncomfortable, but that was only temporary. My heart goes out to all those who won't be cured so quickly.

New York and New Jersey are resilient, but it will take an enormous effort to make life 'normal' again around here.

Helene