Yep brings back some really bad memories.

Some of this reminds me of our Tropical Storm Allison - especially the hospital in New York.

East Texas and I were spared the worst of the TV coverage during Ike because we lost power and cable very early on. It was nearly 2 weeks later that we watched a local special on Ike and saw most of the devastation. I think that is one good thing about no power.

Now reality sets in for these poor folks. I can tell you about the shock, numbness, etc. that sets in at daylight as you begin to look around and see the damage to your property/neighborhood. I can also tell you about the elation that sets in about 3-4 hours from now when you (finally) begin to realize that the damage is not as bad as you feared and you begin to understand that you survived.

The worst, though, sets in after a couple of days as survivor guilt sets in. You begin to hear bits and pieces of news and realize how bad it is for other folks. That is a toughie to deal with.

FEMA finally arrives with MRE's, water, and ice. You drive through long lines to pick up supplies. The first folks were from TSA and, later, the Texas National Guard. The Guard folks were so funny and great with the kids waiting patiently in cars.

Frustration begins after about a week of no power or, in our case, off and on power.

The debris then begins to pile up on the street and frustrated folks begin the never ending calls to the waste management folks and insurance companies.

The funerals begin.

About two weeks in, the insurance companies finally get to your house and write the check. FEMA follows shortly thereafter. Now is when you, finally, are able to begin new construction.

By this time most of the grocery stores have opened. The store shelves are still a bit bare especially fresh produce and bread but it is manageable.

A month out and most of the shock is gone if you don't have much damage to your home.

For the folks who lost everything, now is a very vulnerable time. You begin to get your FEMA trailer or housing vouchers and you understand that life will never be the same.

Six months out and new construction begins. Folks begin to replant trees and flower beds devastated by the storm.

A year later and construction still continues.

Two years out and most new construction has been completed. Things are looking pretty good. There is new infrastructure, new restaurants, new homes, new apartments, etc. The place is pretty much spruced up and looking better than ever.

Four years out and you don't really remember what happened until another storm like Sandy comes around. You watch and you weep for those who are affected.

Shashank Tripathi, Last Night’s Twitter Villain @ComfortablySmug

By Jack Stuef

This post is now available on BuzzFeed FWD, which was down for a time due to Sandy.

During the storm last night, user @comfortablysmug was the source of a load of frightening but false information about conditions in New York City that spread wildly on Twitter and onto news broadcasts before ConEd, the MTA, and Wall Street sources had to take time out of the crisis situation to refute them.

What leads a person to do such a thing, which his critics have likened to shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater? It’s unclear. But perhaps it has something to do with the nature of anonymity. If there are no consequences for posting false “BREAKING” news, there’s an incentive to do it to an accumulate a large audience.

What @comfortablysmug didn’t count on, apparently, was losing that anonymity. Based on photos he censored and posted to the account but I found unedited elsewhere, @comfortablysmug is Shashank Tripathi, a hedge-fund analyst and the campaign manager of Christopher R. Wight, this year’s Republican candidate for the U.S. House from New York’s 12th congressional district.

FEC documents show Wight has paid Tripathi thousands of dollars this election cycle as a “consultant.” @comfortablysmug has been a vocal supporter of Mitt Romney and posted tweets suggesting he attended this year’s Republican convention. He’s listed here by a local Republican group coordinating volunteers for a Romney phone bank. He’s 29 years old.

snip

Read more here: http://gofwd.tumblr.com/post/34640321762/shashank-tripathi-last-nights-twitter-villain

Disinfo agents everywhere.

I would venture a Shill or a computer generated disinfo program.... meaning someone or some corporation was paid to do this.

I want to let you know what folks in my part of the US are saying about some folks in the Northeast - especially those on Staten Island shown on tv last night.

Didn't you learn anything from Andrew, Hugo, Katrina, Rita and Ike?

Did your hospitals learn nothing from the devastation in the Texas Medical Center from Tropical Storm Allison? Those aren't the first babies to be carried from a NICU in the middle of the night.

We want to give all who lost loved ones a hug and weep with them.

We want to bi*ch slap those who are complaining on national news. Welcome to your new normal. This is a disaster. Everyone is in the same boat and no one is getting special treatment. It is hard, it stinks (literally), and it takes a long time to recover. Keep a good attitude, help your neighbors and try very hard to keep negativity at bay. We all are suffering and we don't need you telling us how bad it is. If you have a roof over your head, a dry place to sleep, water and food - you don't need to complain. You are better off than a whole bunch of folks who lost everything - including loved ones.

If you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and choose to stay you need to be fully prepared both for the storm and the aftermath.

If you aren't - you need to leave.

When local emergency management folks tell you to gas up your cars - you need to do it.

When local emergency management folks tell you to be prepared for 3 days on your own - you need to do it.

I read in the paper this morning about a 70+ year old woman who had to walk down 19 flights of stairs 2 days after Sandy to buy water. I don't mean to sound ugly here but seriously? You didn't stock up on water prior to the storm?

C'mon folks. Each and every person reading this should already have 72 hours worth of food and water stored in your homes. If you don't - do it. You don't need to do it all at once - just an extra can of vegetables this week. Then an extra can of soup next week. Add an extra carton of oatmeal the week after that and then an extra can of fruit.

You should (at a minimum) have 2 gallons of water per person stored in your home plus 1 gallon for each pet - per day. In my case that is 6 gallons - 2 for East Texas, 2 for me, 1 for each doxie - per day. 6 X 3 = 18 gallons of water. You can store it as gallons or water bottles. It is easier to store the gallon jugs, IMHO. The water bottles get mushy feeling over time. Every 6 months or so start cycling the water and replace it.

Please just do this one thing. You will be in a much better place when (not IF) disaster strikes your area.