Sandy In Pennsylvania

Sandy was a strange storm here. Schools were closed Monday, but it really didn't get going until the evening. We had bands of rain and wind all day long. At dinner time the winds picked up and raged all night. We were fortunate and only had bands of rain which prevented some flooding. My husband was called into work during the night, and was out in the wind, to keep the roads open for emergency vehicles. He said it was the fiercest wind he had ever encountered. Around 8 PM the nights started flickering and by 9 they were out. We were among the lucky, our power was restored the next afternoon. There are trees down all over the Lehigh Valley. Many roads are closed due to downed trees and downed wires. It is now Saturday, 5 days after the storm, and many in our area still don't have power. Schools were closed all week. The stories we see on the news are heartbreaking. We have many friends and relatives who either live or have summer homes along the coast. I am afraid the coast as we knew it may never be the same. Our daughter is close to the action in Brooklyn. She lost cell service for several days, but not her power. She works and goes to school in Manhattan. So she is anxiously awaiting the subway's service returning to normal. All in all we were lucky here in PA, but our close neighbors in NJ and NY were not nearly so lucky.  We wish them all the best. Our hopes and prayers are with them ~ especially all the little ones displaced by the storm. Please keep the Northeast in your thoughts and prayers. It is going to be a very long recovery along the coast.