I live at the Jersey shore and my family was extremely lucky. Our neighborhood is set pretty high in town so my street didn't flood. We also had unbelievable wind gusts but didin't lose any trees, which is much more than I can say for many homes on my block. At this point we have no power/heat/hot air...but we have a generator running here and there for some essentials and our sump pump is keeping our basement dry. The electric company has given us an estimate of 10 - 15 days without power and we have been informed our kids will not be going back to school until that time. But - again - we feel absolutely blessed to be alive and living under our own roof.
I cannot tell you how helpless we all feel here at the shore. So many people are without homes and an indescribable number of our beloved landmarks have vanished. The devastation is just impossible to truly comprehend.
Please say a prayer - or offer up a silent moment - for the people whose lives are forever changed because of this horrific storm.
*** The above drawbridge is in my town. The boats you see were dry docked at a marina nearby and were picked up and carried away by raging floodwaters. That marina is on the exact site where once stood the Union Salt Works. The salt works were burned down in April 1778 by British loyalists who were trying to cripple this area by removing the only way to preserve meat and other foods. Against all odds, after repairs, the salt works were once again operational...as will be the Jersey Shore in the coming months and years.
