“There are mass evacuations taking place in low lying areas…” I heard on CNN
“The entire transit system of New York City and New Jersey will start shutting down…” I heard on NY1
“Bloomberg is preparing the city for unseen damages, possibly totaling $10 billion…” I heard on Fox News
I on the other hand expected this storm to be rain and just that. When Hurricane Irene was brewing up near North Carolina last year, everyone was afraid for catastrophe and although it affected some smaller states, it didn’t have much of an effect on New York City. I figured that if Hurricane Sandy was only a Category 1 hurricane, it would be nothing to Hurricane Irene.
What was supposed to be a 30 minute ride to the supermarket ended up being a 3 hour disappointment. I was supposed to just run some errands at two nearby stores but faced the problem of finding parking, finding a cart, and getting through interminable lines. Never in my life had I seen so many people at these stores. Everyone was gearing up for a strong storm, yet I still convinced myself that it would be minor.
2 days later.
“They are estimating $20 billion dollars worth of damage…” said CNN
“Hurricane fires have burned down 80 to 100 houses…” said NY1
“In it’s 108 years, the MTA has never seen a storm like this…” said the Governor
I was shocked that a storm I expected to be mere drizzles had such a catastrophic effect. For the first time in history, the New York Stock Exchange was closed for 3 days, due to weather conditions. I spent all of Tuesday just sitting on my laptop looking at the debris this storm left behind. I had never seen New York so vulnerable before, with the entire city shut down. It really taught me the reality of how strong nature can be.
I know exactly what you mean. I did not expect Sandy to be as bad as it was. Before it hit, I went for a drive because I thought it would just be a thunderstorm and afterwards I’d go to play some basketball with my friends. Instead, I was stuck in my house for a week, unable to go anywhere due to blocked streets and non- working trains.
I understand the comparison between this and Irene. What was ironic was that, like you said, Irene did not do as much damage, but my family lost power for a week. With Sandy, which was anticipated to be worse and was, my family didn’t lose power. But NYC was having a really rough time. No trains or anything and I saw pictures of my high school practically underwater.