Hurricane Sandy - "Perfect Storm"

[Treacle Toes]

^^^ tis true I made £1,200 in flight vouchers by doing this some years back. I travelled free for a year and a half because of it.

 

[Treacle Toes]

A shark was photographed swimming in the front yard of a flooded home in Brigantine Beach, New Jersey #sandy pic: pic.twitter.com/EryjeqUE

 

[Reno]

Reno: If you are undecided whether you want to go to NYC or not I think you might be able to make a few quid, If you go to airport it seems likely that the flight will be over subscribed. Virgin are quite likley to ask for volunteers to get off flight and they usually offer big incentives to do this. If you have hotels you can cancel and get ya money back you are quite likley to get a new flight, probably with an upgrade and may even some cash back too. I've never been in a position to be able to get off a flight cos of business etc, but have been sorely tempted with some of the inducements they offer. Of course if you cant get the money back on ya hotels I'd go, I'm sure you'll have a good time anyway, altho some attractions may be shut.

Thanks, that sounds like good advice. I've been wondering about that, but it makes sense. If my flight hasn't been cancelled tomorrow, then I'll do that.

I've already cancelled my hotel. I've decided not to go. I was going to go to NYC with a friend from California but his flight has been cancelled and I don't want to be by myself in a post disaster city. And as all my favourite bars are in flooded Lower Manhattan, I don't even know if I can get drunk in a familiar environment.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

You need to appreciate that cities like NY, London, Paris, LA, Tokyo etc are always going to be bigger news simply because they all have a far greater media image. They are the birth places of the modern media - they've been playing it for far longer than places like Istanbul.

We are all very familiar with images of these cities even if we have never actually visited. Films familiarise us with the people and culture. This doesn't happen in Haiti, or Istanbul on quite the same level.

You had the same shit with the Boxing Day Tsunami with people commenting on how much money people were donating and how they didn't give a toss about Africa etc. Lots of people have been to Thailand, Indonesia etc. so have a lot more of a connection with it than Africa.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

And to be fair he was being egged on to do it by us on here!

There were hundreds of other people waving to that camera the same night as well

 

[editor]

Total bollocks of course.

 

[Balbi]

Yeah, Sharks wouldn't be seen dead in Brigantine Beach at this time of year dahling

 

[Citizen66]

You had the same shit with the Boxing Day Tsunami with people commenting on how much money people were donating and how they didn't give a toss about Africa etc. Lots of people have been to Thailand, Indonesia etc. so have a lot more of a connection with it than Africa.

There's also the argument that the perpetual aid to Africa often does more harm than good; not sure the same logic applies following a disaster where food and shelter are needed pretty much immediately whether that be Africa or Asia or wherever.

 

[temper_tantrum]

Hang on. We had someone on the ground in NYC giving feedback whilst it was happening and that is 'trolling'?

He can't have been lying in his account because he was on camera at the time and what he was saying was observably true.

Who said anything about lying? He's enjoying provoking a row. One which I have spent far too much time bothering with already, so I shall avoid getting sucked in any further. I was only reading this thread because urban has in the past been a useful source of real-time updates. I don't think anyone seriously thought that Times Square was going to be under 6ft of water. at self.

 

[Citizen66]

Who said anything about lying? He's enjoying provoking a row. One which I have spent far too much time bothering with already, so I shall avoid getting sucked in any further. I was only reading this thread because urban has in the past been a useful source of real-time updates. I don't think anyone seriously thought that Times Square was going to be under 6ft of water. at self.

I don't really see a row apart from you getting a bit annoyed so I assume there's some history there.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

There's also the argument that the perpetual aid to Africa often does more harm than good; not sure the same logic applies following a disaster where food and shelter are needed pretty much immediately whether that be Africa or Asia.

I'm sure I remember Oxfam/Red Cross/DEC saying donations to Africa went down because everyone was giving money to tsunami relief. People may have been giving money to charities for Africa for years and years before they for one year decided to give it to another country/countries that needed it just as much at that particular time.

 

[Citizen66]

I'm sure I remember Oxfam/Red Cross/DEC saying donations to Africa went down because everyone was giving money to tsunami relief. People may have been giving money to charities for Africa for years and years before they for one year decided to give it to another country/countries that needed it just as much at that particular time.

Perpetual aid to Africa sinks their economies because the goods bought tend to be bought from approved Western companies (it's why govts like aid so much; public cash converts to private profit) and puts the local producers out of business which in turn keeps them in a position of needing aid/charity. Of course it would work if the money was instead invested in Africa itself but then that doesn't suit Western interests.

Plus there's those directors in charities which need to be paid.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Perpetual aid to Africa sinks their economies because the goods bought tend to be bought from approved Western companies (it's why govts like aid so much, public cash converts to private profit) and puts the local producers out of business which in turn keeps them in a position of needing aid/charity. Of course it would work if the money was instead invested in Africa itself but then that doesn't suit Western interests.

Plus there's those directors in charities which need to be paid.

Yes I realise that, and I don't particularly like the way people were made to feel guilty for donating their money to tsunami hit countries instead of Africa. It's my money and I'll do what I like with it

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I bet a man designed that

I know.

It's called "the prick of the plains" for a reason. To make matters worse, the sculpture on the top is Johnny Appleseed, flinging seed across the plains. It's a 14 story high fetility fetish .

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I know.

It's called "the prick of the plains" for a reason. To make matters worse, the sculpture on the top is Johnny Appleseed, flinging seed across the plains. It's a 14 story high fetility fetish .

Lovely

 

[weepiper]

'Major disaster' declared in New York State.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20137363

 

[Manter]

'Major disaster' declared in New York State.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20137363

Have you seen the pic of the cars bobbing up from the underground garage on Wall Street? Amazing pic...

Looks like few people died but infrastructure damage is pretty severe- my colleagues are largely without power (NY state and NJ) the guys in manhattan are all in bars as they all seem to have back up generators!

E2A- is on the front page of this website- second pic http://www.boston.com/news/

 

[Corax]

Have you seen the pic of the cars bobbing up from the underground garage on Wall Street? Amazing pic...

E2A- is on the front page of this website- second pic http://www.boston.com/news/

What's the red gloopiness they're bobbing in?

You know what it looks like....?







Traffic jam


Yes. Oh yes.

 

[wiskey]

What's the red gloopiness they're bobbing in?

You know what it looks like....?







Traffic jam


Yes. Oh yes.

 

[boohoo]

E2A- is on the front page of this website- second pic http://www.boston.com/news/

The town in the first picture on the Boston news (Scituate) is one my ancestors founded.

 

[quimcunx]

Oh, Corax.

 

[Mitre10]

Thought you might be interested in a first-person point of view - from someone I know in New Jersey:



So... heres what is going on over here in New Jerseyshire right now:

Most people are out of power. I have power but no cable (Means no internet) but my friend has internet/tv but no power. I just brought him more gas for his generator. Gas/Petrol is tricky to find and theres lines for it as most stations have no power. One I was at earlier filling gas cans up had a 10 gallon limit for vehicles.

The NY City subways are shut down, likely for some time.

The NY Stock exchange is still down, so is pretty much all of lower Manhattan. This is the first time since 1888 that the NY Stock exchange has been closed for more than 1 day.

Theres lots of damage, largely from flooding in South Jersey. Huge amounts of boardwalks are just gone.. the Atlantic City boardwalk is pretty much destroyed... the roller coaster reportedly fell into the ocean. This is bad.

Commuter train lines (Metro-North) are damaged, one place in, IIRC, Connecticut has a 40 foot long boat over the tracks.

NYC Bus service should start up today on a limited schedule.

Apparently 80 homes burned to the ground in one part of Queens.

Its still raining here in North Jersey and winds are still gusting 20-25mph. Its not over yet.

 

[Corax]

Oh, Corax.

I win the internets.

 

[where to]

First impression is this is getting a bit over hysterocised. Bad but hardly catastrophic, theyve not even cancelled the marathon.

 

[Miss Caphat]

Precisely. They go into hysterics over here about the slightest potential threat to their well-being. Remember "bird flu" and all that--these diseases were going to kill everyone and destroy everything too.

Americans are the best and noblest people in the world. But they really need to develop a stiff upper lip.

now I understand why people think you're a dick.
this was a huge storm, that caused massive damage and affected huge numbers of people.
also the implications are very scary.
storms seem to be getting bigger, more devastating, and more frequent all the time.
this is not a joke.

 

[quimcunx]

I win the internets.

Here is your prize. Take a look at the internet you have won.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

now I understand why people think you're a dick.
this was a huge storm, that caused massive damage and affected huge numbers of people.
also the implications are very scary.
storms seem to be getting bigger, more devastating, and more frequent all the time.
this is not a joke.

Glad to see you're still kicking, Miss Caphat.

 

[Greebo]

Thought you might be interested in a first-person point of view - from someone I know in New Jersey:



So... heres what is going on over here in New Jerseyshire right now:
<snip>

Thanks for posting that.

 

[elbows]

Here you are. This is the internet you have won.

Or this one, before the word the met the internet, and when the modulated anarchy didnt involve much swearing.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The town in the first picture on the Boston news (Scituate) is one my ancestors founded.

Any of these surnames belong to you?

http://www.scituatehistoricalsociety.org/families_home.html