Posted on 10/31/2012 10:48:39 AM PDT by NoGrayZone
Prayers for you all.
So sorry for all who lost so much. I’m hoping the situation improves by Thanksgiving and that things will be closer to normal by Christmas.
I am so, so sorry you were hit. Thankful you are still alive. Many are praying for you. Hang in there. It’s okay to cry. (((hugs)))
Glad to see you made it. I will pass on some free advice that is worth every penny.
Assess your situation with the following in mind:
Priority for restoring your welfare
1) Reduce your immediate threats - down trees, power lines, blowing debris, looters etc.
2) Establish your shelter. Close off windows, retain heat protect from elements
3) Establish your backup water as quickly as you can. Trash can with holes in the bottom and alternating layers of sand and charcoal will filter a lot of water.
4) Establish a means of heating water / preparing food. I normally recommend getting your grill working for most people. Burning wood is also a good way to get heat going. DO NOT BURN YOUR NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE OR WASTE OIL HEATER UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN CHECKED!!!!! The risk of explosion or carbon monoxide is too high.
5) Contact relatives, neighbors, church group as quickly as possible. Also try to find out what the government response is currently doing in your area. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
6) Identify what medical resources are available to you when you cant get to the doctor / hospital. Many neighborhoods have nurses or doctors or paramedics or even boy scouts living in the area. Treat any injury as a real threat of infection.
7) Stay busy, stay mentally active - do something from dawn to dusk. Always be asking yourself “What can I do to improve my situation right now”. Yes it is exhausting to think and operate that way, but do it for a week and you can survive just about any disaster.
Prayers for you NGZ, I’m glad to hear your safe!
LLS
Of course not! We thought it was going to be another Irene...in which we didn’t even prepare.
Luckily, my good friend Caren, who’s house I’m at now (with internet access) gave me some canned foods, soups and tuna (lots of it too).
Our landlords and I are now talking about getting a generator and preparing for a next disater.
This is the 1st one in Lord knows how long that has hit. We thought it would be a couple of days...as usual, but not this time.
I too live in suffolk county. About a block north of southern state parkway. Thankfully no flooding, but we lost electricity at 10:30am on Monday. Have been without power since. Power lines down in 2 places on my block alone. I’m writing this with my cell phone. My internet connection through my cell phone is very weak. During the storm it was ok. Within minutes of the storm passing, it went from very weak to non existent. It remains that way now. I’m lucky to have access now. No doubt it will go back to being weak. (So people, pardon me if I don’t reply to anybody in a timely manner. I simply cannot. Internet connection too weak most of the time. It’s frustrating to wear my cell battery down while trying to get on a website or thread)
Spending the days reading books, at night reading by candlelight. Waiting for them to restore the electricity. I’m told that will take 7-10 days for my area!
Nothing destroyed. My house withstood the 90mph winds. A few heavy branches fell harmlessly onto the ground in my backyard, far away from the house. Have plenty of food and water for myself.
Worst part for me is the boredom waiting for them to restore power so that I can have back my tv, cable, dvd player, and internet through my desktop computer. Reading books is ok. I love to read, but not all day long, every day.
I too live in suffolk county. About a block north of southern state parkway. Thankfully no flooding, but we lost electricity at 10:30am on Monday. Have been without power since. Power lines down in 2 places on my block alone. I’m writing this with my cell phone. My internet connection through my cell phone is very weak. During the storm it was ok. Within minutes of the storm passing, it went from very weak to non existent. It remains that way now. I’m lucky to have access now. No doubt it will go back to being weak. (So people, pardon me if I don’t reply to anybody in a timely manner. I simply cannot. Internet connection too weak most of
the time. It’s frustrating to wear my cell battery down while trying to get on a website or thread)
Spending the days reading books, at night reading by candlelight. Waiting for them to restore the electricity. I’m told that will take 7-10 days for my area!
Nothing destroyed. My house withstood the 90mph winds. A few heavy branches fell harmlessly onto the ground in my backyard, far away from the house. Have plenty of food and water for myself.
Worst part for me is the boredom waiting for them to restore power so that I can have back my tv, cable, dvd player, and internet through my desktop computer. Reading books is ok. I love to read, but not all day long, every day.
I too live in suffolk county. About a block north of southern state parkway. Thankfully no flooding, but we lost electricity at 10:30am on Monday. Have been without power since. Power lines down in 2 places on my block alone. I’m writing this with my cell phone. My internet connection through my cell phone is very weak. During the storm it was ok. Within minutes of the storm passing, it went from very weak to non existent. It remains that way now. I’m lucky to have access now. No doubt it will go back to being weak. (So people, pardon me if I don’t reply to anybody in a timely manner. I simply cannot. Internet connection too weak most of the time. It’s frustrating to wear my cell battery down while trying to get on a website or thread)
Spending the days reading books, at night reading by candlelight. Waiting for them to restore the electricity. I’m told that will take 7-10 days for my area!
Nothing destroyed. My house withstood the 90mph winds. A few heavy branches fell harmlessly onto the ground in my backyard, far away from the house. Have plenty of food and water for myself.
Worst part for me is the boredom waiting for them to restore power so that I can have back my tv, cable, dvd player, and internet through my desktop computer. Reading books is ok. I love to read, but not all day long, every day.
Having experienced our own disaster (took a year minus one week for all of the repairs to be made to our home after a massively destructive hail storm) I can speak from experience: The recovery will take time and seem to take forever but God is in control and eventually your life will get back to "normal" and surprisingly things will actually be better than they were before the destruction took place. In the mean time look to the Lord Jesus for comfort and strength, take time to be with friends and relatives who care about you and r e l a x (yes I know that sounds strange, but in reality there is nothing much you can do at the moment but relax, rest and recover because you have been through a lot and worrying about your situation will not change anything).
I hope this helps and pleas know that many people are praying for you and others who are recovering from the storm.
The rest of the country is sending help, utility trucks too.
In the event of “the one” there wouldn’t be enough of the country spared to send any help. So, this might not technically count as total SHTF but it was definitely poo thrown by monkeys
Glad to know you are still alive. That is the most important thing. Prayers going up asking to keep you and your family safe!
NoGrayZone!
Glad you’re here! It’s nice when a missing Freeper shows up.
Don’t concern yourself about the electric being turned back on automatically.
With us, if a house still existed, an gov appointed electrician came charged $95.00 (I don’t know for what)
Then the electric company’s worker came and removed the meter.
Homeowner had to call their own electrician to make sure all wires were fine. If they had been under water, they had to be replaced.
Then the electric inspector was called only after the basement was clear of ANY water. I was carrying the water out with buckets.
Then all paperwork had to be cleared before calling the electric company to install the meter.
It took me six weeks to get power back to my house. A lot of the stuff felt like a scam.
While all this was happening, the electric company was replacing poles and wires.
Things will be tough and frustrating for a while. Emotions will run all over the map. Let it happen. It’s part of dealing with the situation.
Don’t sit and wait for the government to help you. You’ll be stuck in that mess forever. Our flood happened 14 months ago. Those people who were dependent on the gov, still don’t have a liveable house to move into. Not even close. They’re living in FEMA trailers now. We still have volunteers up here from other States so there’s a possibility they may end up in your area.
Take photos even though it may be painful right now. One day they will pick up your spirits when you will look at them and realize that what felt like an eternity, was just a few days.
God Bless you.
It’s been a LONG time since I posted on here. I usually just have time to read and keep up with things on here while at lunch or on break. Anyway, your post pulled at my heart. I’m here to tell you that it WILL get better. Thirty years ago my husband and I were in Midland TX 3 days after our wedding. We lost EVERYTHING in a fire that started from welders on a roof next to our building. We didn’t even have renters insurance yet. I will never forget standing in a field and watching everything we had burn up. I don’t think either one of us ever felt more alone in the world. Within days and weeks, we had a place to stay and good people who came forward with help. My husband and I have now been happily married for 30 years and feel so blessed to have gone through that tough time, because it only strengthened our relationship and resolve to succeed. Just remember that you and everyone who has been touched by this disaster are in our thoughts and prayers. You will get through this and come out stronger on the other end!
“I’m on the North Shore of Long Island, Suffolk County. It really really sucks here.”
Sorry to hear about your troubles, glad you guys are O.K., and no sarcasm intended but isn’t it great to be alive. This too shall pass, as they say.
I think I am speaking for everyone here when I say we would like to give you a group hug.
(((((((GRAY))))))))
hang in there, FReeper FRiend. We are praying for you.
Hang in there- you’ll look back some day and say “I made it, so can you”.
We care for and love you. Stay safe.
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