Hurricane Sandy

[VietVet]

Hello all,
     Well as I'm sure everyone is aware we were hit very hard by Hurricane Sandy almost a week ago. New Jersey, New York and Conn seem to have received the worst of this one. Other States in our Region also are suffering.
     Life has been lost, Homes have been lost, property damage beyond description. Many still without power. Gas in areas of the NE is almost impossible to find. Food and water are also getting increasingly difficult to find for some. Some are without both food and shelter as the colder weather and the possibility of a Nor'easter approaches this week. Some are without everything they once owned.
     Life as we knew it has changed for many, well all in our Region.
     We've always referred to ourselves as "Team Northeast" and a Team we are. We will get through this and as we know be wiser and stronger for the hardships we are now enduring. Now more then ever we need to stay both united and strong. Hopefully many of the issues I've mentioned will be corrected shortly. Life will start to return to normal but until then we will need to reach deep and fall back on our courage, patience, training and common sense.
     Team Northeast we are and will continue to be.
     Not sure what can be done but if anyone is in need please let it be known and if at all possible lets see what can be accomplished. I'm sure there are many in our Appleseed family that would lend a hand if at all possible.
Appleseed is a Family that is National not just Regional. We have Brothers and Sisters throughout the Country that hopefully will lend support, ideas, advice and most important prayers.

     Stay strong and be safe,
                 V V.
     

[Josey Wales]

..Yes, Hurrican Sandy did in fact hit NYC very hard.  Many are devastated.  A Personal Thank You to VietVet, sgtrock, kDan, Another D.O.M., Krisker, Imker, Smurf, Kody Jaret & Crak for reaching out and showing Love and support..

..As for Project Appleseed being a National Program, no one from any other part of the Country has inquired about the Northeast.. and that is food for thought..

.............Strength & Honor....................Josey Wales..................................................................

[Fred]

..As for Project Appleseed being a National Program, no one from any other part of the Country has inquired about the Northeast.. and that is food for thought..

     While I am doing a lot of "supposing" here, here's some more food for thought: I would expect our AS volunteers, given the advance notice of the storm, to have lined up some food, water, and other emergency supplies beforehand - unlike the unbelievable mass numbers in the area who apparently didn't lift a finger to help themselves, if the reports of mass numbers of starving, thirsty, naked people who are out-of-gas - which emerged in less than a day after the event - can be believed.

     Sure, there are some - the ones burnt out, the houses flooded - who are in real need - but would it have been too much to expect people to fill up their gas tanks a day or two ahead? And to have laid in some food and water? And to prep for power being out?

     Do you have to be some kind of outstanding genius, in the face of the "hundred year storm", the "storm of the century", to fill up your car?

     I see in the chorus of cries of "help us" directed to the gov a symptom of the problems facing this nation today. I see an unwillingness or inability to take responsibility for yourself, which you'd want to do not only to make your own life more comfortable/survivable, but also because there will be others who do need real help, and you don't want to distract from the help going where it's really needed.

    I also see a lot of people who, given adequate warning beforehand, did little or nothing. But who can loudly gripe when the results of their doing nothing now inconvenience them.

    In a way, there's an "Appleseed lesson" here. Or, better, a reflection of our experience in Appleseed, in trying to get the word out, and get people to the firing line, so they can hear and learn about the heritage which, knowing about, they're not likely to want to see it disappear. Just as they ignored the warnings and continued on their merry ways in life in the face of the Storm of the Century, so they ignore all the other danger signs in this country as it relates to the dark future ahead of us. Even tho we are trying our best to get their attention, and tell them.

    When the ship finally sinks, the water will be filled with many cries of "Why didn't someone tell me?" The answer is, just like last week, "you were told - you didn't listen, you elected to stay on the couch... and do nothing."

     Someone who did not take commonsense precautions in the face of this storm should not present a sympathetic image for the rest of us. We need to save our sympathy for those who actually lost their homes, not for those whose gas gauge reads "empty".

     I could have sent out a PM to our NE crew, advising them to "get ready" for the storm. But I did not think it necessary. (Heck, some of you guys would likely have thought such a message kinda insulting...)

    This will come across as unfeeling and uncaring. It is not meant to be. It is meant to simply be a clear-headed view of what is currently happening, along with some regret that modern Americans will not listen, will not get off the couch, even when it's in their best interest.

    Naturally, there is no criticism of our NE volunteers intended. In fact, I think there's a compliment in what I've posted, regarding you guys.

[scuzzy]

     While I am doing a lot of "supposing" here, here's some more food for thought: I would expect our AS volunteers, given the advance notice of the storm, to have lined up some food, water, and other emergency supplies beforehand - unlike the unbelievable mass numbers in the area who apparently didn't lift a finger to help themselves, if the reports of mass numbers of starving, thirsty, naked people who are out-of-gas - which emerged in less than a day after the event - can be believed.

I'd be willing to bet a dollar (ha) to a dime (pre 1964) that if anybody was prepared it would be the Appleseed crew. I say this based on what I see down in this neck of the woods.

I know for a fact that we don't have people that are unaware of what's going on. That's why they volunteer for the shoots.

[Trisha]

My husband, ahhshoot, is in Connecticut now restoring power and he was there 2 days before the storm hit and we live in Wisconsin, so I've gotta believe that AS people out east were able to prepare for this storm too. I do hope and pray for everyone's safety and that their life will resemble some normalcy soon if it hasn't yet.

[Another D.O.M.]

..As for Project Appleseed being a National Program, no one from any other part of the Country has inquired about the Northeast.. and that is food for thought..

     While I am doing a lot of "supposing" here, ...

Yes, in fact you are doing a great deal of supposing.  None of what you are alluding to was included or intended in what Josey Wales said.  All he said was, in his experience no one other than those he enumerated has PMed or called to inquire about his situation or the well being of his family.

[Trisha]

We all want everyone out East to recover quickly and hope that nothing serious happened to their homes and families. I know this isn't the case and I know others in AS realize this too. We are all here together and maybe we should have asked how everyone was doing, but there isn't much for us in farther states to help. I know a lot of us are praying that everyone was and still is safe. I know this is an emotional time, my family and I had to deal with major flooding back in 2008 that ended up shutting down all of our downtown because the water was 5 feet high and now many homes had to be torn down. Many of us do understand this type or at least some type of destruction that mother nature brings our way.

Appleseed is about saving our country, that hasn't change and will never change. Please remember our thoughts and prayers are for you all even if we didn't state it on here right after Superstorm Sandy hit.

[TruTenacity]

..As for Project Appleseed being a National Program, no one from any other part of the Country has inquired about the Northeast.. and that is food for thought..

While I am doing a lot of "supposing" here, ...

Yes, in fact you are doing a great deal of supposing.  None of what you are alluding to was included or intended in what Josey Wales said.  All he said was, in his experience no one other than those he enumerated has PMed or called to inquire about his situation or the well being of his family.

Another D.O.M.,
Not everyone read Josey Wales OP the same way Fred did.

<snip>
Please remember our thoughts and prayers are for you all even if we didn't state it on here right after Superstorm Sandy hit.

Absolutely correct.

[ITB]

..As for Project Appleseed being a National Program, no one from any other part of the Country has inquired about the Northeast.. and that is food for thought..

Here's some food for thought.  You're wrong!

I did not inquire about the Northeast by sending a PM or asking in a thread.  I DID something about it.  I humbly apologize that the first thing I didn't do was post on the Appleseed forum.  As amazing as may sound, some things are bigger than Appleseed.

ETA: Edited of my own accord.

[R1SGx2]

So much to say here this thread should be closed.

Common sense precautions - Hmmmm, house burnt to ground, water to second floor, no power - car flooded -

Common sense, really, can goods being washed away, food contaminated, car full of gas flooded and turned upside down, - (must be nice to have a car that last for months with a full tank of gas when you commute). Common sense, hello,,, millions in need, not a community of hundreds or thousands - but millions,,,,

intheburbs, - Thank you and Schulzmaster, you indeed helped to make our Nation strong. Please take a deep breath, Josey as you did travels great distances to help others in need, and always brings so much to share. Now finds himself in the middle of millions in need.

What I is see is so many on this forum posting wedding pictures, family fishing trips, hunting trips, topics off course, and many by moderators, SOM / SOM is becoming a thing of the past and becoming a social forum.
It has got so cloudy that the message of Saving our Nation is going to the back burner, I also believe the northeast effected by Sandy is also part of our Nation, and Nationally we had a chance to say they are in our thoughts and more. These same people have done it in so many other instances. intheburbs was spot on, we all should have been the first to:

I humbly apologize that the first thing I didn't do was post on the Appleseed forum.

So many congrats on new babies / calls for prayers, we had our chance on a national forum to let these people that are in Appleseed in this area know we are with them and Fred, we didn't. But Billie Bob's cow had a calf, lets post well wishes and photo's.

Hours left until the lever is pulled, now look back over the last week/month and see the stuff posted, how much on saving our Nation. So much for SOM / SOM. Another chance to save the sinking ship pasted by. Bucket must have a hole in it.

Fred, nice reply, I know I will be slammed here, and welcome it. Please close this post and PM me with your slams.

I also believe this was on the Northeast forum.

[techres]

PM sent asking how to help.

[colycat]

Guys in the white hats from Wisconsin, taken yesterday by a grateful CT resident.

[TOMINCT]

 I think for some the magnitude of it really didn't hit right away, at least it didn't for me. It might sound crazy but I didn't really know until late in the week. No, my head wasn't buried in the sand, just trying to fix things here, contact those in state that could use help, etc.

FWIW I pm'd JW on helping out at the canceled NJ AS this past weekend. Again, not knowing the extent of the damage.

My thoughts and prayers are with those who suffered from hurricane Sandy, they were earlier and will continue to be.

[Another D.O.M.]

I received the following a little while ago from a fellow I'd purchased something from on Ebay - he lives on The Island:

Dear markjanspacher,

I am about a mile and a half from the water and I got very lucky the water
made it about a block from me. It's much worst on Long Island than your
seeing on the news. A bunch of houses burned down. I finding out that
blocks of houses on the bay washed away. The gas lines were 4 hours long
all week and today it is still over a 2 hour wait to get gas. My power came
back last night but there are still over 300000 houses with no power on
long Island. Today was the first day I could find an open postoffice so at
least I got a bunch of orders out. My work place is still in the dark so I
already lost a week and a half pay, it's ruff but I'm OK and so is everyone
I know.It's mostly just money damage and thats good we can always rebuild.
The problem is most of the people on the water can't get flood ins.so Long
Island is going to be in a bad way for a long time. I'll get your order out
ASAP but the guys at the postoffice are telling me they are over a week
behind on shipping. You will get it way before Christmas but it might be a
few weeks. Thanks for your understanding Rich

-baseballcardxpress

There are countless stories similar to this one.

As of the 2010 census, there are 8.25 million residents of NYC; and another 7.5 million living on Long Island.  What most of you are seeing on the TV news is what the TV news does best - sensationalizing something that is less important and ignoring the harsh reality of what is more important.  You're not seeing 15.75 million people standing in line waiting for a can of gasoline simply because those who have suffered the worst are more concerned with basic necessities.  The overnight temperature in the NYC/Long Island area was close to the freezing point last night.

There is just so much that preparing will do for you.  I'm sure that many of the folks whose homes were washed into the sea thought they were prepared for the worst.  I'm sure the assisted living communities thought that they were prepared as well, along with the NYC hospital whose generator failed during the worst of the storm.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control, and we have to deal with the consequences the best we can.

I will extend a personal thank you to all who have joined in the efforts to help mitigate the effects of Sandy, and all who will continue to do so for as long as it takes.
MJA

[R1SGx2]

16 days since Sandy hit, many communities still with out power.

I would expect our AS volunteers, given the advance notice of the storm, to have lined up some food, water, and other emergency supplies beforehand -

Hard to bottle power.