The Night The Light Came Back...

Yes, that is a picture of street lights down my block.  This the same picture and view angle I posted of a pitch black street just several days ago.

I've lived through and survived the 1977 New York Blackout, as well as the 2003 Eastern Seaboard Blackout.  I've even had several smaller blackouts, including a 4 day blackout a few years ago living on Long Island.  But I have to say that I don't think I've ever enjoyed seeing light or power restoration as much as I did about four hours ago here on my block.  The immediate phone calls, text messages and doorbell rings up and down the block...people cheering.  It was surreal.

Our power came back about 15 to 30 minutes after the Nassau County Excutive Edward Mangano had made an unusual and extraordinary request for the U.S military and Department of Energy to take over the managerial structure of the Long Island Power Authority, aka LIPA in the restoration of power on Long Island.  This comes a week after New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo publicly called out LIPA for having a "history" of failing to get Long Island's power restored in a timely fashion as well as communicating proper updates to it's customers.  He threatened that he would have their management replaced if they didn't get the restoration process done in a timely fashion.  Now with Mangano's request, the Governor's threat has been completed.  Clearly LIPA has failed yet once again.  They are no better than their notorious predecessor, LILCO (Long Island Lighting Company) which it completely replaced in 1998.

I guess now the official "heads are going to roll" time has started.  Sooner or later it will be all persons in the civilian Emergency Management systems for New Jersey, New York City as well as Long Island.  There are still thousands without homes or power or both.  I know of a person taking in one or two sets of relatives  who lived near the shoreline, for refuge, but only to find himself with his power knocked out during the storm and living on a generator for about 5 to 6 days.  Three families in one house and on one generator?

There is no magic pill to take, nor can the solution for this disaster be resolved within the confines of some future 60 minute investigative news report.  The realities of what has taken place here are going to have to be realized and dealt with for some time to come.  These realities will need to be digested by both public officials, residential developers, civic designers...and MOST IMPORTANTLY the public themselves.

First, off the top of my head is that clearly we in the northeast of the United States are way too over dependent on gasoline.  Since I became a suburbanite, I too have now slipped into the same lazy habits.  Being forced to use my vehicle for essentially the barest of needs, I began to realize how many more times I could have walked or biked to certain locations for small or trivial items.  Growing up in New York City, you learn to take a bus or walk or ride a bike to get to certain places.  Once I made the transition moving to the Queens and then Long Island suburbs, I threw those healthier activities away.  You get more into the habit of driving everywhere because places you go are far away.  Unfortunately, you then begin driving to even some of the more easily accessible places and start to disdain even short walks.  Not anymore.

Second, in the instance of hurricanes, tropical storms, ocean surges, or tidal waves, you really to need to make sure that you have a supply of batteries for a simple radio, flashlight and food to get yourself by for at least a week.  In the case of such disasters - especially if it is an ocean event - whatever waters that came up and over the shore, has probably destroyed or severely damaged ports as well.  Waiting for military or governmental airlifts to drop you off food, water, batteries or even fuel is a dream floating around in your head, probably stemming from television show or movie.  Clearly from the events down in New Orleans and now the New York and New Jersey area, namely Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now Hurricane Sandy in 2012 respectively speaking - I'm not going out on a limb in making that statement.  Sandy never even reached 115 mph winds like Hurricane Irene did 13 months ago, and look at what has happened.  It's 10 days after the event and there are thousands still not getting the help that they need.

Third, but just as important as the first two, is that there are too many homes (and hotels) built dangerously near or simply too close to the ocean.  Buying an expensive house at any such location is probably a bigger risk than ever before.  When you buy a house in any coastal town or city, "ocean views" are usually a huge selling point and subsequently inflates the price of that house.  Well if you believe statistics as showing "trends" - 17 of the top 24 (or 70%) of the costliest Atlantic ocean born hurricanes have struck the gulf coast and east coast since 1980. This trend will probably continue as more people and municipalities allow for additional homes to be built in such locations.  This is not my opinion.  Just read the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_costliest_Atlantic_hurricanes

That's not even throwing in the dozens of Nor'Easters which have also caused very costly damage and killed hundreds, if not thousands in that same time frame (since 1980).  Just remember the movie "The Perfect Storm" was based on one of those dozens of Nor'Easters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Perfect_Storm

Even the "simple" tropical storms in the northeast can cause massive flooding.  Ironically, I remember there being a small real estate boom to build more houses out in the Hamptons with "ocean front" or "near ocean" views. I had a relative who had a house by the bay, and in a three year period in the middle 1980's watched the already bottleneck traffic get even more congested with the newer traffic for the newer houses that were popping up like weeds.

I had a former coworker who also purchased a house about 3 miles away, on a lower end near an inlet.  He owned that house roughly from 1986 to at least 2009.  He had his own dock, boat and could sail right out into the ocean and go fishing.  That house flooded on almost a regular basis during that 13 year period that he owned that house, whenever we had major storms.  Having proper air conditioning (high humidity) within the house during the warm months, as well as painting maintenance on the house itself, and it's outdoor furniture (due to the salt water air) had to be costly to him year to year?  I know it was for my now decease relative, and he lived on a bluff that faced the bay - which was not even prone to floods.

"Cheap" homes on Fire Island start at nearly a million dollars for a small, next to nothing, two bedroom house.  What would you pay for that house now?  Fire Island is basically a barrier island that protects the some of the south shore of Long Island from the ocean surges.  Well...Fire Island got destroyed by Sandy as well.  So much for a barrier.

I love an ocean view just as much as the next person.  But, not at the risk to losing all of my most valuable possessions. Real estate and civic developers are going to have to re-think the wisdom in overbuilding by the water.  The increased tax revenue and the income from the sale of the homes by the water will never balance out the yearly upkeep costs and eventual "big storm" disaster relief that will probably follow that house in the long run.

Just food for thought.

Many "thank yous" to everyone who has been following my writings through this disaster and wished me well via emails, text or Twitter messages - or even silent support by virtue of following my writing entries and checking up on me.  I thank you all so very, very much.  You folks are what keeps me working very, very hard to produce as best I can.

May God bless all of you.  Good night.