The lights have flickered a few times and my radio went dead twice. It is almost 3 p.m. on Monday, and Hurricane Sandy is bearing down.
Looking out the window, I can see the sheets of rain coming at 45-degree angles. The leaves are being ripped from the trees. And, as my friend Megan said to me on Facebook, the trees are doing their happy dances (or should it be “unhappy dances”?).
This is just the beginning.
I’ve avoided watching TV for the past few hours, preferring to hear from friends on Facebook and Twitter how things are going. TV news has been in sensationalist mode since it became apparent that this storm was going to hit New Jersey and New York. Not to underplay what we are dealing with and will be for the next couple of days, but the tone of coverage was over the top and alarmist.
More straightforward reporting would have been useful, and we could have done without the various experts recruited to do analysis.
The reality is this: Hurricane Sandy is a big, nasty storm. There are dangerous winds expected and lots of rain and the potential for flooding in some areas, a softening of ground in most areas that likely will lead to downed trees and lost power. We all needed to take precautions, including having bottled water on hand, flashlights, etc. Those in low-lying areas needed to get to high ground, with their pets, and then we just ride it out. There’s not much else we can do.
Hank Kalet 