Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hurricane Sandy- Olivia Mohnacs

After an eventful but exciting summer, it was time to say bye to our shore house until Memorial Day weekend. This summer was awesome, and our shore house had gotten a full renovation making it feel like we were in a brand new house. Aside from the spur of the moment day trips, I said bye to Brigantine until May. It was always hard for me to leave the shore and the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds it. Nothing really beats waking up to the smell of the ocean and hearing the sound of the waves crashing onto shore. Living at the beach for the summer is something not everyone gets to enjoy. Little did I know that summer of 2012 would be the last summer I would live down the shore.
It was late October, and the annual hurricane season had hit. I remember when Katrina hit, and how devastated people were. I never really got the effect that it had on most people because it never really affected my life. Of course you feel sympathy for those people and you want to help, but I was never in the position that it could potentially harm me, until now. The news broadcasts a preview of what they name Hurricane Sandy. She’s coming in rough and fast. They say that she is most likely to hit the Jersey shore area and the coastline. First thing I can think of is, “oh my god, my shore house.” Devastating, and “the worst one we have seen in a while” are what I remember hearing. Living only an hour from the shore, it had potential to ruin part of my home in Marlton as well. And it would.
 I remember in the midst of everything happening, my parents talking about how the power was going out in surrounding neighborhoods and how it would most likely be out for a while if it did go out. I remember running to the store with my mom and seeing aisles empty of toilet paper and any necessity. The freezer section was of course stocked full because everyone was going for necessities. I remember buying cheap candles to get us few the next few days at home. My dad had went out and bought a generator so that if electricity was out for a while we could attempt at bringing it back. It was October keep in mind so it was getting chillier, and we stocked up on wood to make fires and stored it in the garage. My dad and brothers went to Brigantine and tried to prepare as much as we could. Luckily they went the day before everyone on the island was evacuated and was not allowed back until National Guards could bring them. All we could do was wait. And days seemed like centuries.
I remember when it hit Marlton, the power in the neighborhood five minutes from me was out for a week. Phone lines had been torn down, trees were snapping everywhere blocking roads. Our main street was destroyed and the sidewalk was torn up from trees breaking and coming down onto the street. Buildings were boarded up and trees were even inside the buildings and had broken the glass. School was closed until it was safe to return. I remember sitting in the living room with my family as it poured and my dogs were shaking so hard. My mom was crying because it was so bad here, we could only imagine what was happening to the shore house.
We had survived the storm at home except for our basement flooding, which would only require us to get new carpet down there. As much as it was a hassle, we were fortunate because it could have been a lot worse. I remember when we were able to go see our shore house. This was the first day that all homeowners were allowed to return. I’ll never forget this day. Entering Brigantine, the once friendly streets were vacant and there was sand literally everywhere that you looked. Houses were just half torn down or just half missing. The bases of some houses just were not in existence anymore. There was just piles of parts of houses and on top of them were dead animals. I remember seeing a dead cat in the middle all this trash. My friends house was completely destroyed. Her entire dock was gone, including the boat, and our neighbor’s house was ruined by a boat wedged into the side of their house. It really was unlike anything that I had ever seen. Some roads you could not even drive down, so you had to get out of your car and walk down to see all of the effects. Finally after taking a deep breath, we got to our house. The base of the house was practically missing, and there was sand everywhere. Sand was something that I could deal with though.  Some of the roofing had been blown away and the shutters on our house were missing. The outside decorations that my dad had missed were gone, and our stone pebbled walkway on the side of the house was now mud and dirt. The outside was mediocre. It could have been worse I kept thinking. Walking inside everything was flooded and I mean everything. This would call for new flooring. The second story windows were shattered and glass was in the carpets. Nothing was too destroyed, but considering we had just renovated the entire house it was really devastating. I remember when my family came back a few weeks later for “restore the shore” hockey game where all benefits went to restoring the shore and those affected by Sandy. In the weeks that had past it still looked as bad.
Hurricane Sandy came on us by surprise and it devastated many families who had their homes destroyed. I could not imagine if my shore house was my actual home and I lived their all year round. In both of the homes that my family owned, an hour apart from each other, were both hit by the storm. I did not get to go back to my shore house this summer because my parents are still renovating it. Money issues came along and we needed to take care of the flooding in the basement at my Marlton house before we moved to the shore. This storm did affect my life because I have spent every single summer at the shore and this was the first summer in 11 years that I did not live there all year.
  

3 comments:

  1. Olivia,
    Is this a nonfiction or fictional piece? It sounds like the truth! The details that most 'get' to me are these: "There was just piles of parts of houses and on top of them were dead animals. I remember seeing a dead cat in the middle all this trash." A number of people have written about pets, especially the role they play during Hurricane Sandy. That's interesting. I think pets are more vulnerable, perhaps, than humans, no? They are trapped in our houses, dependent upon humans.
    Well done,
    Spring

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  2. Its 1/2 true!! It was my neighbors shore house not mine! But all the details are true!

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  3. Liv,
    This response really hit home for me! I think us being from New Jersey, we were both directly effected or are close to people who were directly effected. It is a very sensitive subject for us, one that we both have a lot of insight about. I love that this piece that you wrote is true because mine is also true. Chelsea is the name of a close friend of mine who I work with. My story based on her experience was completely true. I thought your response was very well written and really showed those who don't know much about Hurricane Sandy, how destructive the storm really was.
    Ali

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