This is Part 3 of 3: Escalon High School alum and NYC Radio News Anchor, Steve Scott on Surviving Sandy:
The city and the surrounding area became a cash-driven society. Credit cards were virtually worthless; the networks that transmit ban card information went down during the storm. We made a very good decision to stock up on cash before the storm hit. ATMs - the ones with power, that is - quickly ran out of cash.
It was five days after Sandy hit that Jeanie and I were finally allowed to return home. We had no idea what to expect. We live on the top floor of our building, so our apartment was virtually untouched. Our biggest loss was food in the freezer and refrigerator that had to be thrown out. But the 11-foot storm surge from the Hudson River had destroyed some first-floor units and mangled our lovely boardwalk along the river. The force of the surge was incredible. Properties blocks from the river were deluged with water. And, of course, you've seen the catastrophic damage from the Jersey Shore, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island. As I write this (on November 16th), many people still don't have electricity. Many lost their homes, their possessions, their cars...and, in some cases, their lives.
Nothing is "normal" yet. The transportation infrastructure was severely impacted by Sandy. Most people (including Jeanne and me) have had to find new ways to get to work. You hear a lot of chainsaws. You buy a coffee for a utility worker and say thank you for their efforts. You ask co-workers, "How's your home? Everything okay?" And, you mean it, because you went through it, too.
Oh, did I mention that a nor'easter the week after Sandy left the recovery efforts buried under upwards of 13 inches of snow? And, that much of the New York City area, Long Island and New Jersey ran out of gasoline after the storm? And, that we even had a small 2.0 magnitude earthquake? What's next? Locusts?
I would like to close with a note about my medium...radio. Well over 5,000,000 homes and businesses lost power due to Hurricane Sandy. The actual number of PEOPLE affected? Probably more than 10,000,000. That meant no television, limited Internet and virtually no newspaper delivery, for a population larger than that of New York City. But, those people, heeding warnings issued before the storm, had battery-powered radios. And, those radios became lifelines to millions with no electricity. Other than those radios, they were cut off from the outside world. I wish I could share with you some of the hundreds of emails, voicemails and letters we've received at WCBS 880, thanking us for being that lifeline. Thanking us for being with them during and after the storm. Thanking us for making them feel safer. Thanking us for helping them find their polling place on Election Day. Thanking us for keeping them informed about power issues and disaster relief. Thanking us...for doing our jobs? Imagine that. Imagine the power of that little old transistor radio, and the people at the other end - many of whom didn't know the status of their own homes.
If I ever wondered why I do what I do, I don't have to wonder any more.
Steve Scott is afternoon news anchor at WCBS News radio 880 in New York City. He grew up in the Farmington area, and is a 1979 graduate of Escalon High School. He can be reached at sescott@cbs.com.
Thank you Steve for sharing your first hand experience during and after Hurricane Sandy. What an amazing story.
*****
Special Birthday wishes go to Leona Boone. Leona will be celebrating her 95th birthday on Saturday, December 8th.
*****
Please contact me if you have items for the Farmington News column. E-Mail me at farmingtonnews@gmail.com or phone 896-6697.
The city and the surrounding area became a cash-driven society. Credit cards were virtually worthless; the networks that transmit ban card information went down during the storm. We made a very good decision to stock up on cash before the storm hit. ATMs - the ones with power, that is - quickly ran out of cash.
It was five days after Sandy hit that Jeanie and I were finally allowed to return home. We had no idea what to expect. We live on the top floor of our building, so our apartment was virtually untouched. Our biggest loss was food in the freezer and refrigerator that had to be thrown out. But the 11-foot storm surge from the Hudson River had destroyed some first-floor units and mangled our lovely boardwalk along the river. The force of the surge was incredible. Properties blocks from the river were deluged with water. And, of course, you've seen the catastrophic damage from the Jersey Shore, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island. As I write this (on November 16th), many people still don't have electricity. Many lost their homes, their possessions, their cars...and, in some cases, their lives.
Nothing is "normal" yet. The transportation infrastructure was severely impacted by Sandy. Most people (including Jeanne and me) have had to find new ways to get to work. You hear a lot of chainsaws. You buy a coffee for a utility worker and say thank you for their efforts. You ask co-workers, "How's your home? Everything okay?" And, you mean it, because you went through it, too.
Oh, did I mention that a nor'easter the week after Sandy left the recovery efforts buried under upwards of 13 inches of snow? And, that much of the New York City area, Long Island and New Jersey ran out of gasoline after the storm? And, that we even had a small 2.0 magnitude earthquake? What's next? Locusts?
I would like to close with a note about my medium...radio. Well over 5,000,000 homes and businesses lost power due to Hurricane Sandy. The actual number of PEOPLE affected? Probably more than 10,000,000. That meant no television, limited Internet and virtually no newspaper delivery, for a population larger than that of New York City. But, those people, heeding warnings issued before the storm, had battery-powered radios. And, those radios became lifelines to millions with no electricity. Other than those radios, they were cut off from the outside world. I wish I could share with you some of the hundreds of emails, voicemails and letters we've received at WCBS 880, thanking us for being that lifeline. Thanking us for being with them during and after the storm. Thanking us for making them feel safer. Thanking us for helping them find their polling place on Election Day. Thanking us for keeping them informed about power issues and disaster relief. Thanking us...for doing our jobs? Imagine that. Imagine the power of that little old transistor radio, and the people at the other end - many of whom didn't know the status of their own homes.
If I ever wondered why I do what I do, I don't have to wonder any more.
Steve Scott is afternoon news anchor at WCBS News radio 880 in New York City. He grew up in the Farmington area, and is a 1979 graduate of Escalon High School. He can be reached at sescott@cbs.com.
Thank you Steve for sharing your first hand experience during and after Hurricane Sandy. What an amazing story.
*****
Special Birthday wishes go to Leona Boone. Leona will be celebrating her 95th birthday on Saturday, December 8th.
*****
Please contact me if you have items for the Farmington News column. E-Mail me at farmingtonnews@gmail.com or phone 896-6697.
