Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Weather worries

Living on the water as we do, we're very familiar with the high water challenges posed when two storm fronts collide, and when a storm front coincides with a full moon. (This photo shows a neighbor wading down the road, 3 houses away from us, during a particularly high tide a few years back -- I think that was the same year our propane tank floated loose...)

But what I find utterly mind-boggling is the thought of being stranded in a hotel room in an unfamiliar city in a power outage.  The locks are electronic -- if you leave your room, how do you get back in?  The hotel has many floors: if you need to go out for food, and there's no elevator, how do aging knees survive all those stairs? And what hope is there of finding food even if you do go out? 

Presumably there is no heat, but you can bundle to stay warm for a day or two -- but what if it takes longer to restore power?  And is there water?  Is it safe to drink from the faucets?  Cell towers need power, too -- so if the power's out, doesn't that mean cellphones fail to function?  How do you call for help in an emergency, or reassure your family that you're okay?

My heart goes out to all who continue to struggle with the effects of the storm...

1 comment:

Maureen said...

The situation is devastating, especially north of us. NYC subway system is shut down and it may be days before even debris and water can be cleared. Lower Manhattan is under water. (The mayor has said the water supply is safe.) My son in Brooklyn obviously can't get travel except by foot.

Here, it's still raining, sometimes heavily, but the wind has lessened considerably and airports are expecting to reopen later today. The water continues to present a problem, as ground cannot absorb any more, and that presents continued threat of trees coming down; Potomac is fast nearing flood stage. It's only in '40s. We by some stroke of good luck still have power (lost it only for a minute or two last night) but many others have none. To the west and in the mountains, it's snowing. Such a freaky system.

Praying for all affected.