The calm before the storm

Hey all,
I'm laying here on my couch in Long Island NY, typing away on my iPhone. I've been a busy boy today. In the threads as well as out in the streets. Yes, I am starting another Sandy thread. I just wanted to share my first hand experience as well as thoughts on this whole thing, so please excuse the redundancies.

To begin with I have no power, the natural gas is on and I have hot water, but no heat. Not really a big deal though, my main concern was keeping my fishies alive, which I am confident now that they will be okay because I have built an aperatus out of a clothes hanger and my cordless drill that makes the inside of the tank look like a glass of 7up! We are all healthy and warm, like most here at ATS we were prepared.

There is no gas out there, all of the gas stations have been run dry since noon. There are no more IPhone chargers!!! So don't even try to go looking, you'll run out of gas trying to find one. There is no cell phone service for most of the island. Texts are more than likely to fail, most are not getting calls even when their phones have bars. A good amount of houses don't have any natural gas as well. I have one friend in Brooklyn of all places that still has everything. Houses by the dozen are burning as I write this. Garbage and sewage are washed up on the beaches across the coast for hundreds of miles. The silent houses line the streets with their inhabitants quietly waiting, hunkering down anticipating what comes next. The silence is defening.

I went out last night right after the power went out at my place just to see how far the blackout had went and what I saw was a little weird. Maybe the conspiracy theorist was alive in me but it seemed that there were a lot of "emergency vehicles" that didn't belong??? There were garbage trucks that weren't local driving around the neighborhoods. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like there were people loading them up with anything. In fact, there was a whole procession of different kinds of heavy trucks and equipment other than the usual local clean up crews. It gave me the impression that something else was going on. I am not a paranoid guy, I'm actually pretty practical, but something seemed kinda awkward, like there were actually two jobs going on at the same time. My spidy sense was definitely suspicious...

I am not going to start spewing theories here, but I am smack in the middle, front row seat, and I can't shake the feeling that the silence that has ensued since Sandy made tracks is only the beginning of a long slow draught.

I have a strange feeling that gas is not going to be easy to come by tomorrow or the next day, food is going to go bad, then be very hard to come by as well. We are not prepared to go for weeks without these luxuries, and I can't shake the feeling that this is exactly what we are going to have to do.

It is a beautiful full moon out there, when I go outside the air smells wonderful clean and smoky from all of the fire places. It is perfectly quiet save for a couple of generators around the neighborhood and I can't shake the feeling that it is a calm before the storm.

A lot of people around here are saying that something smells fishy. I find it hard to believe that this was designed. That being said, it all has an extra sense of fate I think. Almost as if something is behind it, it's of a spiritual nature or something like it. It almost has the feeling of being a sickness that is going to spread. Like the quietness out there is not going to go away but get even quieter... Like it will grow out of the path of her wake and spread like a wild fire. I don't know. Maybe people in this position always feel like this???

I am and will be fine, I feel like my whole life has prepared me for something big like this, and I feel confident to deal with whatever the outcome, but it's a strange feeling to be smack in the middle of it.

What I would like to hear is others thoughts who have also had Sandy pass over and how they are feeling tonight. What are the emotions you are feeling. How is the silence effecting you? Have you had strange suspicious thoughts as well? Have you seen any strange things going on before or after the storm. Does it feel almost as if I wasn't just a storm that passed over but something else entirely?

Good luck to all who are going to be struggling through it. Stay warm and safe and prepared.

I spoke with my dad briefly and he said it may be 2 to 30 days before they get their electric back, his town still has gobs of water. I heard from my brother this morning and he said he was leaving the hotel and driving back home, I haven't heard from him since. I hope he's doing okay. Everyone stay safe up there. I hope everything gets back on and soon.

if you don't have electric then how do you have internet? You on your phone? Better conserve it, you might need it.

reply to post by Manhater


Funny story about that. I saw a crowd gathered around radio shack this afternoon and stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. Walked right in amongst all the people fighting over phone chargers and grabbed the last inverter off the shelf. Had just enough cash on me to walk away with it. The people were all staring at it and asking what it would do. I really had not expected to find anything like that still on a shelf anywhere and was a little put out because one of my coworkers pretty much stole mine out of my work truck on Friday. I swear I could have sold it for a hundred bucks right there. A couple of the girls were looking at me like they wanted to take me home, but Im not really attracted to NY girls, especially when they look like they caked on their make up by a flashlight! To make a long story short, yes I am using my phone to surf ATS it's one of my long lost love affairs, but being a divorced dad in NY doesn't leave much time for these types of luxuries.

Well good luck, hope you have a generator to charge your phone battery. You going to need it.

reply to post by Quauhtli


I bought an inverter a couple weeks ago! Best purchase EVER!!! I love it, and really could have used it when Isaac struck us 2 months ago.

Good luck in getting back to normal.

and the calm before the storm yes, I think that is possible, I just don't know what kind of storm they have planned for us!!

The inverter I bought turns my car into a generator. I really could be doing a lot worse. I've texted everyone I know. "Free soup and Hot showers at J's kitchen"

It seems everyone is in their own state of diss array. I have another friend who has the only generator in his neighborhood, which is not the best type of neighborhood. He has been very accommodating to anyone who has stopped by for a bit of free juice, but now that it is dark, he's afraid of someone trying to come over to steal it. There is a building down the road from him all boarded up with plywood and spray paint across it reading "you loot we shoot!"

reply to post by Quauhtli


Thats a cool read.. thanks for the perspective. Being in the heartland, I have really no idea what NYC is even about.. so I imagine that the quietness of the city is a little strange.. ( of course we are used to the quiet here) but there it would be odd I would imagine that in itself would make one a little out of sorts or paranoid to a degree.. Do keep on keepin on.. I wish you all the luck man however long the days or weeks are til you get power.

I have experienced the quietness of being so remote that you feel like a tiny insignificant speck of nothing out in the middle of nowhere and the world would swallow you up without even a hint of recognition. This quietness is actually almost comparable. For my friends who were raised here especially in the city it must be terrible! I have to say though, that tonight's sky with all the light of the full moon and the parting clouds the wood smoke and hollow streets. It's an awe inspiring moment. It seems like yesterday was years ago. I can still feel the pulsating vibrations of yesterday's hustle and bustle still but it seems now almost like it is lost forever. It makes me think something like it is a needed break of some sorts. It's comfortable. I can imagine everyone getting together and deciding to just leave the power off. It's better this way! I don't know, who knows... It's kinda nice

reply to post by Quauhtli

if only! god I wish we could all turn the power off and keep it off.. ppl are way to addicted to material things now days...

reply to post by gnosticagnostic


Careful what you wish for buddy!
What's interesting to me is seeing how people deal with it. There was a gas station down the road, one of the only ones still pumping gas in the area. It is owned and ran by old timers, simple folk by NY standards. They were only allowing people to fill up jugs. "Stay home" they said, "use the gas for your generators, there's no reason to be driving around." It's this way of thinking that gives me a little pride and hope that there are still some that don't put themselves first and think rationally. Today was one of the most interesting days I've had in a long time. So many cool little encounters. It's times like this and sometimes tragic events that bring out the best in us.
Now if we could only somehow learn to act "humane" all the time we could get somewhere with it...

reply to post by Quauhtli


ya i'm thinking I was born a century too late or something... haha.. although if I could I would live totally off grid but even to buy land seems outta range for me right now.. sigh.. anywho I'm sure in the coming days you will see what real community is all about...something we all severely lack this day in age with our 4 walls and wifi.

Hey op...

I like your writing style!

Glad to hear you are making the best of the situation and you are finding a spiritual connection within the storm. During these kind of times you find strength you never knew you had and the strength of others is a blessing as well.

Praying for all of you that have been affected.

I too wonder if this event is the calm before a major storm (and Sandy is HUGE). Whether it be a huge EQ on the horizon or something else.... who knows. We just don't know... but what I do know is no matter what happens.. Im staying strong and will be looking to the light for clarity.

I too am blown away by your writing - your words put me right there in your living room - so glad you brilliantly discovered a Mcgiver way to save the fishes.
I started having visions of a wall of water closing in on NY/NJ when Sandy was crossing Jamaica. I called my sister in Mahwah NJ and gave her a list of things to do and ways to prepare for the power outage that was coming. Her response was that "we never loose power here".
OP - I've FELT a strangeness in the energy of this storm from its very beginning. I can't put it into words - but the swirling spiral energy feels so different from any other storm I've ever been in. I'm in the snow end of the storm in the Appalachian Mountains. It's so quiet here you can hear the Earth breathe. And you can feel the Earth's pain. OP - Please know that I am sending you waves of energy - that you will make it through this challenge in a way that is transformational.

Nice thorough write-up.
Good job knowing how to cope and not panicking!
That's the first mistake loads of people make...

I also wonder about why all those vehicles are out there.
Especially when we have leader loving to take advantage of every crisis.
Now, we all hope nothing sinister is being planned or crafted.
But who knows? These elites are struggling to keep their plan going...I'm sure of it.
So if that's the case then you should be on the lookout for anyone not fitting the EMS bill.
Normal EMS squads are easy to pick out, never looking too organized or like military.
By that I mean workers with any type of construction clothing on and military builds.
By military build, I mean buzzcut hair and muscular frame.

If I saw those types of guys running around, I'd dig deeper.
Because you can bet your bottom dollar something is amiss.

For one thing, the west coast and central U.S. haven't been hit by any major disasters really at all, while a lot of other places have. This was a fairly big disaster for the east coast, especially because of the power outages and flooding. So there could be other disasters in store.

Also, if people in big cities are out of power and food, there could be trouble.

I saw on the local news, here in san antonio, tx, our local electric company (cps) loading ip some trucks and 50 some odd workers. All heading your way to help get the power going again. Hopefully it will only take them 2 or 3 days to get there, lol. So I would assume others are on their way also.

Our power went out for almost 2 days once and It's just an odd eery feeling. We are definately to dependent on electricity. The sense of relief and well being was instantanious when the lights came back on.

Stay safe, and warm! Thoughts and prayers from Texas!

Great thread, keep up the good spirits and stay safe; if at all possible people should consider getting out of the big cities, even if it’s only temporary. Time to move south for many reasons that I will not go into, the storms haven’t hit the southern regions in a long time and many storms have begun hitting further north then probable ever been seen in our life times. Most talk, conspiracy wise out there and we need not give into fear of others but keep our eyes open for sure. It’s a time of community and rebuilding, how and were this is to be done is up to each individual to decide. For only YOU can decide what kind of world you would like to live in after the dust settles. This is just the start of the storms to come I’m afraid, this was on a nature, there will be many more to follow, many storms to come of mans doing, or should I say undoing. To help over these many years have written several articles that may help and they can be found here: www.drmeola.blogspot.com...

I recommend starting with the top one, and then please look over the one titled: A New Walnut Grove that can also be found here on ATS.

God speed, the future is in your hands now.

My wife and I both have iPhones with chargers made by an American company called MOPHIE. They have came in handy many a time when we had nearly ran out of juice and just clicked a small switch and it charged up again from it. Also I have a few very small external chargers that plug into,them and charge about half full again which is handy as iPhone batteries are terrible at best of times.

Originally posted by Quauhtli
.

went out last night right after the power went out at my place just to see how far the blackout had went and what I saw was a little weird. Maybe the conspiracy theorist was alive in me but it seemed that there were a lot of "emergency vehicles" that didn't belong??? There were garbage trucks that weren't local driving around the neighbor hoods. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like there were people loading them up with anything. In fact, there was a whole procession of different kinds of heavy trucks and equipment other than the usual local clean up crews. It gave me the impression that something else was going on. I am not a paranoid guy, I'm actually pretty practical, but something seemed kinda awkward, like there were actually two jobs going on at the same time. My spidy sense was definitely suspicious...

Hi Quauhtli (Difficult named to say especially when you have Aphasia) I don't want to sound Morbid or anything but maybe the Garbage trucks were driving to the Cemeteries because with all that Flood water the Bodies may have surfaced, and that was the quickest way of collecting them up. Just saying. I wish you well, and hope the powers on quickly.

Originally posted by Quauhtli
my main concern was keeping my fishies alive

Looks like you guys have plenty of water around you now, just throw the out fish in n let em swim...?