*Please Note that this is not a complaint in any way, people around me and even in my immediate family have it worse. I am simply sharing my experience right now* Well.. This is our 6th day having no power and it will be WEEKS before I get electricity back due to the Hurricane that destroyed most of my area and place I call home. It is 3:00 in the morning and I just woke up due to my house being freezing. Its well below 40 degrees here. I have a flashlight and a baseball bat just in case of looters. It's complete darkness every where. Homes, Cars, Properties, and Lives have been destroyed all around me. So I can consider myself lucky that I can even use my phone right now and the little battery that is left on it to write this and latching onto some of the only cell phone service in the area. Today, It finally hit me how bad all of this really is. Houses were legitimately leveled right off the foundation and floated away.. Some just destroyed and turned into rubble. Families with young children are left with no power, no heat, hot water, and no where to live and it is getting colder every day. I am 5 mins off the beach.. The places where I spend so much of my time working, hanging out, meeting people, surfing, eating at resturants everything it is all gone. Simply turned into rubble and washed out. It's amazing how something this powerful can happen in our lives and we have no control over it. It's truly amazing the power of nature. Currently I am starting a fire in my fireplace to try and keep warm for the rest of the night. I am sitting so close to the fireplace trying to salvage the most heat I can out of it. 5 days ago life was normal, striving, people were happy. Now, devastation. Towns have turned into war zones. Gas lines are 10 hour waits and some places even longer. As time passes it is getting colder, supplies getting shorter, and so is the patience of people. Fights are starting to break out over gasoline, water, food. My Uncle has a new born baby to take care of and the entire first floor of his house was flooded. Boats were washed up on his front lawn. They have no power. No way to cook food or get heat. In some places this whole situation is still getting worse, not getting better. It's crazy that it is 2012, my family has owned our own business for years and done well.. Yet I am huddling close to a fire for warmth at 3 in the morning and I have no electricity. Gripping a metal baseball bat fearing that someone is going to rob my house. And yet I am so lucky compared to others, that my house and property are still in okay condition. Obviously I know I will get through this but it will take YEARS to rebuild my town and state. Bridges, roads, houses, businesses, buildings are gone. Some day I will be able to say I lived through Hurricane Sandy and experienced it 1st hand. Whatever that's worth This just shows that there are some things in life that we simply have no control over. Everyone is welcome to share your thoughts. Maybe some of you are also out there experiencing this thing.
Feels good to live in Oregon-- Mother Nature fucking LOVES us Oregonians. No tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, sandstorms, any of that bullshit. We get a lot of rain, but that's it.
But op I'm very sorry about what's happening I can't even imagine how bad it is stay safe and stay warm
Personally I take your story to heart. For all of you stoners out there that think the survivalists are a bunch of redneck morons OP's story should set an example of why you should be prepared. Anything can happen at any time and does. OP you will have stories to tell your grandkids many years friom now. Things like this don't really sink in until you've experienced them. Well armed & well supplied should be a priorty for every American. Cheers & GL
Damn, that shit kind of sucks. Quite an experience. My experience with it is my work-load fell by 25% all week and I got out of work early every day. Was great for me.
Got to charge my phone in my car. I can't watch the news but I'm sure they're saying "Everything is fine" Shit ain't fine. The devastation is crazy near me right now. They're finding bodies all over the place. Things are getting much worse before it gets better. Also we don't know if we will have power for even a month now.. Chopping fire wood and stoking the fire. Camping is only fun for a weekend.
Feel your pain op. I've had the shit experience of seeing mother natures wrath. You'll pull through, and it'll be an experience to help shape the way you prep, and is a lesson you can pass on to future generations.
Actually the world news has been reporting on it every night....I dont think it can completely convey the devastation that people feel from seeing their stuff washed away though. Youll rebuild and things will get better. They cant get to everybody right away.
I don't think there is anything I can say that will make things easier for you. I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story. A friend of mine was pregnant during Katrina, and lost everything for the baby when the 9th ward flooded. It took them months just to get back on their feet and over a year for things to start feeling 'normal' again. May you continue to have dry wood to burn, clean water to drink, food to eat and health on your side.
this is the time when we all need to come together. i'm very proud of the people in my area for doing everything they can to help. but i know it's not gonna be that way everywhere. thankfully we got power back after 2 days without. but my job got hit pretty hard. could always be worse though. so i'm very thankful. keep your head up, op.
good luck bro. youll make it through. im in north jersey, not so close to the coast. we didn't get flooding here but a ton of wind damage. trees down everywhere. electricity was out for a while. the gas lines are insanely long right now. and the cold is fucking brutal. worst time for an unexpected superstorm to roll through
This is a house on my street and my neighborhood was considered lucky compared to others. We also service their pool My dads owns a pool company. We are losing many accounts and thousands of dollars. Pools and houses are just destroyed. Things are getting pretty crazy. Still no power and we are supposed to be getting a huge noreastern snow storm. While a million people don't have heat and electric.
[quote name='"ineedasmoke"']This is a house on my street. We also service their pool My dads owns a pool company. We are losing many accounts and thousandsof dollars. Pools and houses are just destroyed. Things are getting even more crazy as the days past and we are supposed to be getting a huge noreastern snow storm. While a million people don't have heat and electric. [/quote] That's a cool looking pool... But I hope for the best and for your safety. I hope this shows how every American should be prepared for anything. Have a go bag and a week worth of supplies.