Catherine Stine's IDEA CITY

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Frankenstorm, a Personal Report

Flares replace traffic lights downtown

We’re watching news as I’m posting snarky weather updates on Facebook: “If the power gos out you can always hold a séance with your meditation candles.” Then, actual concerns begin, as the wind picks up and rattles the windows hard. We hear of trees down, flooding on Seventh Ave (west side) and Ave C (east side). A gigantic explosion sounds (Generators blowing at the 14th Street Con Ed Station).

The TV and lights splutter off. We stumble around for candles.
Stare out into the black streets. Blink at each other. Hunker under heavy quilts.

The next morning, every store is shuttered. Banks are closed. Trees have crashed down and awnings are ripped. I ask a lone cab driver whether there’s any power in the city. “Above 42nd St.,” he replies. The garage guy painstakingly extricates cars from the cavernous pit with one mini flashlight. My Nissan Cube becomes our chariot of deliverance because no cabs, subways, or buses are running, and gas? “Fegeddaboutit!”

Uptown, one diner is open and mobbed. No waitresses. The cook, speaking only a smattering of English takes all orders. “You’re a hero,” I say, “and your boss should pay you a lot today.” He smiles big. We drive around, shell-shocked.

We buy a jar of instant coffee (Yechh), cringe through a meal of cold, precooked sausages. Amazed that 24/7, colonial people lived with no electricity. Pick up a camping stove, it's broken. Hunker under many blankets and coats. We get out 20 year-old phones that actually work!!! And a battery operated radio. Hear the news for the first time. Stunned that this ancient technology outshines all of the new. I feel like I’m in that show Revolution, and if this continues, maybe The Passage. Weird knowing that people are now shopping uptown at Bloomies and Macy’s as if there’s no blackout—further alienation from uptowners.

Walking at night, we find that the new coffee place has its own generator. Thankful for twenty-something owners who’ve anticipated the apocalypse! Tons of neighborhood types stream in to charge their electronic devices. The valiant coffee baristas work their espresso machine practically to death. Many cool conversations ensure. One man pulls out four live chinchillas from his shirt! There is more than one way to keep warm in the Frozen Apple.

NYU charging station
Doggie charge-up
 New York University opens its doors to the public! We take shelter in the “Quiet Room” and write for two whole days. So much work gets done! NYU is now my hero. People charge up everywhere, even in the ladies’ room. We are mad at Con Ed; how dare they have a stranglehold on the entire city! We need emergency backup systems, sea walls, and a breakup of the conglomerate. We feel terribly sorry for people in Staten Island and Breezy Point, who lost everything.

Still, driving is super-fun now. All parking rules have been suspended! Many have left town, so there are lots of parking places. And none of the traffic lights work. You can go from 14th Street to 125th Street in a matter of minutes. Everything is dark, dark, dark. It’s a giant game of chicken at every intersection. Yee-hah!

But we are filthy. We decide to drive to a friend’s in Queens for a shower. Driving’s no fun when there are massive traffic snarls and lines for gas that snake on for blocks. Is cleanliness really worth it? Maybe so, we feel reborn. Just as I’m sort of getting used to the candles and early bedtimes and games of Crazy 8, and meeting all of the folks at the coffee joint, I’m in the kitchen when I see it—a glow from our robotic vacuum cleaner. I scream, “It’s back on!”

Having been through the apocalypse, I won’t easily forget. Appreciate the little things: a candle and a match. Warm shoes. A teaspoonful of instant coffee. And community. Even the friggin’ crazy Chinchilla guy. Did you lose power? What was your story?

29 comments:

  1. Oh, my God, Catherine. All I want to say is that I am so glad I read this. Oh, and this,

    'Stunned that this ancient technology outshines all of the new.'

    That really impresses me, too.

    I am so sorry for all you have endured!

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  2. What a great, personal account. Poor NYC takes beating after beating, huh? Never mind the city that never sleeps, it's the city that never surrenders.

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  3. Gabrielle, you're not kidding! Intrepid NYers, for sure! Apocalypse, hey, no sweat! And yes, Suze, it was the old, geekster tech that worked like a charm.

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  4. This storm was awful. We didn't have it too bad, but my sister got hit hard. Some of her family lost houses, too. It's just awful. I don't know what else to say about it.

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  5. I used to live in Queens but moved away in the early 90s. I've been through a few East coast blizzards, but I can't imagine going through Sandy. Lucky you for having a car and that you weren't in some of the flooded or burned-out areas. Still, it must have been a miserable adventure. I'm glad you're okay and your sense of humor is intact.

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  6. This was a horrible storm. I'm glad your power is back on...The only upside to living in the tundra is that our only natural disaster is usually a blizzard.

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  7. Thanks for sharing this personal account. Mother Nature does like to remind us who's boss. I've never been through any loss of power longer than 8 hours.

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  8. We get hurricanes in our state, so I can relate to some of your experience. I'm sure for New York it was surreal on a level we can't even imagine.

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  9. Sometimes a diseaster makes us apprecaite what we truly need to be thankful for. I've been through several hurricanes, and some left us without power for quite a while.

    I feel for what you endured.

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  10. I live southern California so we did not have these problems. But it did get cold one night. I had to wear a sweater. Seriously, I hope those affected by Sandy get their lives bak in track real soon.

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  11. So glad you are surviving. Growing up on a farm, we lost power frequently after big thunder storms. My parents came from the generation that seldom had consistent electricity.

    People adapt. It is a relief that your city will sometime recover, for it will take "some time". Good luck.

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  12. I cannot not imagine what it was like. We'e been withouth electricity on occassio, storms or tornadoes, but nothing to compare to what the east coast has experienced. Your writing about it this way show a wonderful sense of humor and accepting what we cannot change. God bless and I hope your life is back to normal soon.

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  13. never had to go through that, but wow, you're a brave one! does make you appreciate the little things and hoping next time to be better prepared.

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  14. Wow, Catherine!! So glad you're okay. I know it's been such a mess up there and yall are all in everyone's thoughts down here. So glad you're power is back on and hope you're keeping warm. But hey the bright side is all that writing you got done. What a source of inspiration. :D

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  15. Wow. Glad your electricity is back on. My mom lives on the Upper West Side, and her power never went out; but I have relatives in New Jersey, and as of last week they were still without power.

    In last year's freak Halloween snowstorm, we lost power for nearly a week (and it was COLD). I totally know that feeling of being reborn after your first shower in days! Hang in there.

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  16. yikes. I had eight days without power, but thanks to a fireplace and generator we had some lights and heat. I wrote about it here http://girlspwn.blogspot.com/2012/11/8-days-without-power.html

    I would not have wanted to be in the city. Imagine losing power and living on the 30th floor!

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  17. Eliza, smart of you to have a generator-I'm thinking we should have one on hand. Victoria, your mother was, indeed, lucky. BYW, looking forward to featuring your new book soon!

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  18. Catherine, I loved this rich tale of your experience - and glad you're ok. I laughed out loud (chinchilla man!) and am sad for those with terrible losses. Love hearing of the good too - NY Univer openings it doors and parking galore!

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  19. Yes, I no longer resent NYU for being a real estate hog.

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  20. Sounds like great research for a novel. :)

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  21. In these times, the strangest things happen, the people you least expect to connect, connect and the memories remain vivid long after you return to your "normal" life.

    Yours is quite a story, Catherine--many story threads!

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  22. Libby, yes, but more post-apoc-lit, hmmm...
    And, Lee, funny you should point that out because I did run into someone in that coffee place who was very "six-degree-of-separation-ish".

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  23. OKay, I just had a deja vu being in the Bobst library studying for med school exams...I'll always recognize that floor!

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  24. What a story! But you managed to write despite it all. We writers are lucky that all our experiences good or bad can be put to good use.

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  25. Yes, Bobst rocked! And, yes, tough experiences are often the best for plot points.

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  26. So very glad you safe! Your story, and many others I've heard, sound like the stuff nightmares are made of. Keeping you in my thoughts.

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  27. It sounds like chinchilla man made the ordeal worthwhile :) Glad to hear you're safe and life is moving back to normal.

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    1. Yes, the chincillas had to be my favorite part of your account. This has to find its way into a story. Poor guy was probably worried they'd freeze to death. Did they poop in his shirt?

      My storm experience was so pleasant that given everything, I don't want to go there...

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  28. I spoke to my sister on Saturday [in New Jersey] and wow. I lived in NYC right after college for a few years and never experienced anything like that. Oh, except the hot water heater broke in January and we had to get up extra early to boil water. Brrr. Stay warm and safe.

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