New York: Gramercy Park (first photo and third photo); Near the FDR (second photo); Stuyvesant Town (fourth photo)
Inspiration: Sandy rocked the foundations of New York and New Jersey, literally and figuratively. These photos show so very little of the damage. Trees downed, homes devastated, people lost, electricity, gas and steam lines severed, garbage and dead rodents everywhere, stores closed, and the normal functions of the most populous city in the U.S. halted. We became a city halved at 39th street by the lack of electricity and most means of communication. Every night I made my way to my downtown home from "normal" uptown, walking beyond 40th street felt as though I was entering a black hole from which I could not be reached and I could reach no one. There was no one on the streets except a few dog walkers, cops and the few residents who remained. It was surreal. That said, I fared better than most. Yes - I lost electricity from Monday night through Friday night - but for some reason, I still had hot water, allowing me to take long showers by flashlight as there was precious little else to do. I must say, checking the items off my Mom's list (see last post where I joked about this) left me in decent place to weather the storm and its aftermath. But for many others, nothing that they did pre-storm could have possibly helped them protect themselves and families from such a horrible aftermath . . . and this just devastates me.
Wow...Beautiful photos of devastation. Can I say that? (Yes, there can be beauty in this devastating aftermath.)
As a long-time hurricane veteran, I send my deepest, most heartfelt sympathy.
Posted by: Odyssey Home | November 3, 2012 at 12:23 PM
I hope NYC and New Jersey will get back on their feet very soon, I feel lucky that the people I know in NYC are safe (lots of them above 39th street), and I also send my deepest sympathy to all who need it, whether they lost a lot or little, I can only imagine that it is a traumatizing event.
Posted by: Carole | November 3, 2012 at 02:10 PM
Glad that you are alright. Be safe.
(Fantastic pictures as always.)
Posted by: San | November 4, 2012 at 05:36 AM
Thanks for your comments, compliments and good wishes, Odyssey, Carole and San.
Posted by: The Photodiarist | November 4, 2012 at 11:21 AM