At 8:04 AM this morning, less than two days after Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New York City, Shelley Fidler, a partner at a Washington law firm, received an email from a DC friend checking to see how she was doing.

He also mentioned that his wife has a great-aunt in her late seventies who lives in an “artist’s residence” in the West Village. They knew she was prepared for the storm but they were very concerned about how she was faring without electricity, water, heat and elevator service. “We were wondering if you might know someone on that end of Manhattan who might be willing to check in on her,” he wrote.

Well, never underestimate the power of two women, a telephone and email.

Shelley immediately called her sister, Meg Fidler, a can-do kind of woman, who lives on the Upper West Side. Meg immediately figured out that Elizabeth Cullinan most probably lived in Westbeth (pictured above) and she immediately looked up and sent an email to three of the resident council members of the building.

In the email she wondered if one of them could check in on Elizabeth, find out how she was doing, and see if she wanted to join her sister, Margaret Cullinan, who lives in Park Slope.

Park Slope post-Sandy has electricity and water. The neighborhood is truly a shelter from the storm.

Meg immediately heard back from George Cominskie, the president of the building council, who said he was in Chicago but he would make sure someone at Westbeth checked the apartment. Moments later, Meg heard back from Deb Travis, Vice President of the Westbeth Resident Artists Council. Thanks to Meg’s email, she checked in on Elizabeth and said that she was doing just fine. She wrote: “Yes we talked to her and yes she wants to leave. We’ll assist her.”

That was music to the ears of Shelley, Meg, Elizabeth’s great niece in Washington, DC , and Margaret in Park Slope.

Apparently, Elizabeth and Margaret have a fine tuned system for relying on each other in an emergency. Normally, they’d be in touch. But this time it was impossible. Until this morning when a cabal of concern came together to help by email and cell phone.

Around 11:30 AM, Deb at Westbeth helped Elizabeth leave her apartment, put her in a cab and sent her off to Park Slope, where her sister was waiting.

By 12:28, Meg and Shelley heard from Elizabeth’s niece in Washington that Elizabeth had arrived safely in Park Slope. “OMG. Thank you all. What can I do to thank you? My door is open to you all whenever you are in Washington.”

As is often said, an emergency can bring out the best and worst in people. In this case, it certainly brought out the ingenuity, resourcefulness and gererosity of a few good individuals. And now two sisters are together again, sheltered from the aftermath of a ferocious storm.

Two sisters worked together, as well.

Congregation Beth Elohim along with the rest of Park Slope mourns the tragic and sudden death of Jacob Vogelman, 23, who died alongside his friend Jessie Streich-Kest, Monday evening during Hurricane Sandy. Here is a message CBE sent to members of the congregation and others. At this time, funeral arrangements have not been made for Jacob. Jessie’s funeral will be at Park Slope congregation Kolot Chayeinu: Voices of Our Lives on Sunday.

 Jake was among the kindest, gentlest and most optimistic souls to walk the earth. An encounter with Jake was to encounter a smile, enthusiasm, and an unbound joy for life. And Jessie was his oldest and dearest friend. They lost their lives while caring for others, an act of generosity and lovingkindness that will never be forgotten.

Jake is survived by his mother, Marcia Sikowitz, his father Larry Vogelman, his brothers Noah and Jeremiah, his uncles Rabbi Dan Sikowitz (Ruth Stuart) and Matt (Pam) Sikowitz, cousins Gabe, Sarah, Joseph, Megan and Shayna Sikowitz, and his beloved and proud grandparents Bert and Florence Sikowitz.

When tragedy strikes so close to home during natural disasters, we are tempted to ask why. Now, however, is the time to give generously of ourselves–to the Sikowitz and Vogelman families–to hold them close, to listen, and to love.

Jessie Streich-Kest’s family, members of Kolot Chayeinu: Voices of Our Lives, will hold a funeral service for Jessie on Sunday. Our hearts and thoughts and prayers go out to the Streich and Kest families in their grief as well.

Funeral arrangements for Jake are currently being made and we will inform the community about plans for service and burial when that information becomes available.

In the meantime, you can read the following news items about Jake.

New York Observer

Forward

New York Times

And you can leave messages on Jake’s Facebook page.

Jake Vogelman’s memory will be an enduring blessing. His soul will live on in the acts of loving kindness we perform in his name.

May the Sikowitz and Vogelman families be comforted among the Mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Jacob Vogelman, 24, a son of Park Slope, died in Ditmas Park during the storm.

Jacob was raised on First Street in Park Slope across the street from PS 321.

Renee Dinnerstein, a local educator, knew him. “Jacob grew up on First Street, right across from P.S. 321, the elementary school that he attended. He was a particularly sweet and friendly presence on our street,” she writes. He attended Leon Goldstein High School and SUNY Buffalo.

Here he is pictured with his girlfriend, Jessie Streich-Kest, who also died on Monday. Jessie, also 24, grew up in Ditmas Park. The two of them were walking their Pit Bull when they were pinned under a tree. They were not discovered until Tuesday morning.

A graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, Jessie was a teacher at Bushwick High School for Social Justice. Her family released the following statement: “Just 24 years old, Jessie Streich-Kest left a lasting impression on all who met her, and especially on her students at Bushwick HS for Social Justice, to whom she was deeply committed. Jessie loved life and was deeply devoted to social justice.”

Jacob’s grandparents also live in Park Slope. OTBKB sends its profound condolences to the family and friends of Jacob and Jesse.

Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope will be open today from 9:30AM until 3PM as a gathering place for the community.

While all their formal programs (ECC, Yachad, Afterschool) are still closed, families and friends are invited to come make use of their pace and to give children a chance to stretch out under the supervision of a parent or babysitter.

Sports equipment will be available in the gym and staff and volunteers will facilitate projects and activities in the Ballroom. The CBE Pool will be open from 11-2 with a lifeguard on duty.

Families should bring their own food and are welcome to bring a “picnic” lunch. If you are able to volunteer to lead a project or activity, please email cgreenberg(at)cbebk(dot)org. Volunteers will also be needed to help with set up and clean up. Clergy will be on hand to speak with people about any personal issues they may be dealing with.

Again, please be sure to keep your children under the supervision of a parent or babysitter at all times.

CBE is located at 274 Garfield in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Jessie Streich-Kest and Jacob Vogelman of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn died during Sandy as they walked their dog. A couple, they were both raised in Brooklyn and were both only 24-years-old. According to the Ditmas Park Stoop, they were pinned under a fallen tree and were not discovered until morning.

Jacob was raised on First Street in Park Slope. Renee Dinnerstein, a local educator, knew him. “Jacob grew up on First Street, right across from P.S. 321, the elementary school that he attended. He was a particularly sweet and friendly presence on our street.”

Jessie grew up in Ditmas Park. A graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School, she was a teacher at Bushwick High School for Social Justice. Her family released the following statement:

“Just 24 years old, Jessie Streich-Kest left a lasting impression on all who met her, and especially on her students at Bushwick HS for Social Justice, to whom she was deeply committed. Jessie loved life and was deeply devoted to social justice.”

Jacob attended Leon Goldstein High School in Brooklyn and SUNY Buffalo.

Our city is counting its losses—and counting its blessings. In Park Slope, Brooklyn we are grateful that the storm’s damage was fairly  minimal. But close by, in other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island,  Long island and New Jersey, the storm’s toll has been catastrophic.

Many are dead (36 in the Tri-State area alone), Lower Manhattan remains without power, the great New York City subway system is shut down due to flooding, eighty houses in Breezy Point, Queens burned to ashes and millions of households in the Tri-State area are without electricity and water. The damage to the Northeastern rail system is crippling activity in  many states.

My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. My heart goes out to those who are homeless now. My heart goes out to those who are struggling without electricity and water.

And so we begin to rebuild. And we must rebuild according to the changing realities of weather patterns and climate change. What is daunting is the “new normal” of extreme weather in a city unused to such conditions.

Once again, Lower Manhattan is in crisis. Certainly this brings back memories of 9/11. That was also a time when we recognized the heroism of first responders. With gratitude, we again thank first responders and rescue workers for all they did and continue to do during and after Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy.

Our city in ruins, our subway stilled, we begin the process of rebuilding and rethinking. It will take strength and patience and the ability to build smart into the future.

City Councilmember Brad Lander sent this update yesterday:

I have been amazed by this community’s response to this storm. People took their responsibilities to their community seriously – securing loose objects around their home before the storm, helping neighbors who suffered damage, and volunteering and donating at shelters today. That commitment to community is what makes this such a special place to live.

Your help is still needed. Read below for volunteer opportunities as well as closure updates.

Closures

Schools will be closed again Wednesday.

Some bus lines have resumed limited service, but it will be at least several days before all subway lines are up and running. The MTA is assessing damage and working to restore service (including pumping out flooded subway tunnels).

Alternate Side Parking and meters are suspended Tuesday and Wednesday.

Volunteers Still Needed

The response to my email this morning was amazing. Both shelters in the 39th Council District, John Jay High School (237 7th Avenue, between 4th & 5th Streets) and the Park Slope Armory (361 15th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues), received a lot of volunteers. But the day shift will be heading home and the shelters still need volunteers for this evening and overnight (especially at the Armory).

You need to be willing to work a six to eight hour shift and cannot bring your children. The Armory is sheltering people with additional medical needs, so volunteers should be comfortable working with the elderly, disabled, or others who may need extra support. We will update BradLander.com/hurricane with volunteer information as we receive it, so please check for any updates before you leave for the shelter.

While those are the two shelters in my council district, there may be other shelters closer to you. Enter your address here to find the closest shelter to you and reach out to see if they are also in need of volunteers. You can also sign up to volunteer in the coming days with NYC Service Initiative or the Red Cross.

I want to give a big thank you to Alexander Rapaport of Masbia, Chaverim of Borough Park, and Councilmember Letitia James, who delivered hot meals and other food to the Armory today on short notice.

In the coming days, there will be many other opportunities to provide service, including park clean ups, blood drives, and calls for donations. And thank you to everyone who donated clothing at John Jay High School this morning.

No more clothing donations are needed at John Jay High School at this time.

Reporting Damage

Downed trees and debris

If you see any downed trees or other debris from the storm, your first call should be to 311 (you can also contact 311 online). If there is an immediate danger to life, call 911 right away. Make sure to write down the tracking number from your 311 call. To alert my office of downed trees or other storm damage, use the storm damage report form on my website (make sure to include the 311 tracking number).

Federal assistance

You can apply for disaster assistance from the federal government here.

Insurance claims

In most cases, funds for repairs from storm damage will come through claims to your homeowners or renters insurance company. The New York Times offers this helpful advice on hurricane insurance claims.

Parks

I updated you this morning on the damage at Prospect Park. Cobble Hill Park, Carroll Park, and Greenwood Cemetery, in addition to other open spaces in our district, have suffered real damage from the hurricane.

All parks remain closed for safety concerns. You should stay out of all parks until the City announces that they have been reopened.

Halloween

Following the hurricane, some of our much-loved neighborhood Halloween celebrations have had to change their plans. Obviously, each family will have to decide for themselves about trick-or-treating tomorrow night.

The Park Slope Civic Council’s Halloween Parade has been cancelled. The event requires many police officers, sanitation workers, and other city employees, who are needed more in neighboring communities that were heavily damaged from the storm.

Organizers are still deciding about the Cobble Hill Halloween Parade and we will let you know when we have more information.

Please continue to reach out to me with problems, questions, thoughts, and concerns.

Brad

Here’s the latest update from the Mayor’s Office, via Andrew Olsen, Brooklyn Director of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit.

In addition to the information below, we are sorry to report that the Park Slope Halloween Parade has been cancelled due to the need to deploy NYPD and Department of Sanitation personnel to post-hurricane cleanup and safety duty, and it will not be rescheduled.

The worst of Hurricane Sandy has passed, we are continuing emergency operations, and have begun assessing the damage from the storm. Here is the latest information:

Power:

There are more than 750,000 customers (Con Ed and LIPA combined) without power as of 11am Tuesday.

The steam system in Manhattan south of 42nd Street was shut down as a preventative step by Con Ed. This affects heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems for hospitals.

Power may be out in some places for 2-3 days.

Time Warner Cable: There are substantial outages (both partial and complete) in Brooklyn and Manhattan

Verizon: Parts of Lower Manhattan have landline outages

MTA: The full system is still shut down until further notice. The storm substantially impacted the subway network and the agency is working hard to restore service. Limited bus service will resume at 5pm today.

There were 23 serious fires in New York City last night and this morning related to the storm.

There are 10 confirmed deaths in the city related to the storm.

People should stay away from power lines, parks, damaged trees, beaches, boardwalks and seawalls. People have lost their lives.

We have already received over 4,000 fallen/damaged tree requests, mostly in Queens.

Reporting Conditions:

911 should only be used in case of emergencies.

To report other conditions such as fallen trees and sewer backups, please use 311 Online, text 311 at 311-692, or call 311.

Fallen trees are incredibly dangerous. Anyone who sees one should report it immediately.

Power outages and live wires should be directly reported to Con Ed (1-800-75-CON-ED) or LIPA (1-800-490-0075).

Schools:

Public schools will be closed on Wednesday 10/31.

Healthcare Facilities:

NYU Medical Center is continuing to evacuate the facility.

Coney Island Hospital has begun evacuations.

We are monitoring the power needs at Bellevue Hospital.

New York Downtown and the Manhattan VA Hospital were both evacuated before the storm.

We are coordinating with 53 other healthcare facilities that are sheltering-in-place about water levels, staffing, and structural issues.

Transportation:

East River bridges are open.

We are working to clear our roadways. Anyone else who is on the road is impeding our ability to conduct an efficient cleanup. People should still stay off the roads.

Extensive flooding and downed trees are widespread problems in all boroughs. Emergency services crews are clearing these obstructions as quickly as possible.

Mass transit is still fully shut down.

All flights are canceled at JFK, LGA, EWR.

Alternate side parking and muni meters are suspended.

Shelters:

Our 76 shelters will stay open today and we will continue to keep them open until those displaced by the storm can return home or find temporary housing.

More than 6,100 New Yorkers are in our emergency shelters now.

More than 2,200 City staff are working in those shelters now to support the evacuees.

NYCHA:

326 NYCHA buildings have no power, with approximately 29,000 total units in those buildings.

We are assessing damage at NYCHA buildings throughout the system.

Water & Sewer:

NYC drinking water is safe.

The Department of Environmental Protection is responding to reports of sewer backups and flooding.

Forecast:

A coastal flood warning is in effect until 3pm today.

Sustained winds will blow through the day, however we do not expect them to rise above 40 mph.

Surges from the storm have lessened, with a projected surge at the Battery today of 8 to 8.5 feet. Last night’s peak at the Battery was 13.88 feet.

Less than an inch of rain is expected today.

Staying Informed

For the latest updates, New Yorkers can:

Visit the NYC Severe Weather site on NYC.gov

Follow @nycmayorsoffice Twitter

Sign up for notifications from Notify NYC

Thanks, and we will be in touch as we go through this recovery process.

Ryan Whalen

Chief of Staff to Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson

 

The Park Slope Civic Council has cancelled its annual Halloween Parade. It has not been rescheduled.

Donations of clothing and other items are needed at the John Jay High School Complex (7th Ave btw 4th and 5th), which is serving as a NYC evacuation shelter. If you can, donations before 4PM would be very helpful.

Men’s Clothes

Women’s Clothes

Kid’s Clothes

Baby Clothes

Towels (no blankets needed)

Shoes

PLEASE donate weather appropriate items. Take a look in your closet and find seasonal clothes you don’t really love or wear and give it a chance to have a second life with someone who needs them.

Volunteers are needed at John Jay and the Park Slope Armory (8th Avenue beteween 14th and 15th Streets).

They are looking for volunteers to do 8 hour shifts (no kids allowed). The Armory is specializing in folks with medical needs so you should be comfortable working with the elderly, disabled, or others who may need extra support.

You can sign up to volunteer during future emergencies at the NYC website nyc.gov

Just reported on WNBC, President Obama has  declared New York City and Long Island a major disaster due to Hurricane Sandy. This declaration will makes federal funding available to people in this area who suffered damage.

The television was still on when I awoke Tuesday morning at 4AM after falling asleep exhausted at midnight during a Dave Letterman show recorded without an audience.

After Sandy.

A few hours of sleep and then it was time for an update on the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy’s landfall in New York City. The wind gusts are still fierce on Third Street; the trees sway violently. From my windows it looks like Park Slope made it through the storm very well. The same, of course, cannot be said for areas close by…

Walking though the apartment I see signs of yesterday’s panic/preparedness. The stove top is covered with pots filled with water. On the countertops are pitchers of water. The bathtub is filled with water.

The dining room table is covered with flashlights and batteries. A  Scrabble board with tiles of a game played last night next to a thousand jigsaw puzzle pieces, an image of Marilyn Monroe coming into view.

The refrigerator is filled with food; our rain boots and foul weather gear are at the ready by the front door. We never got around to creating “Go Bags” but I don’t think we’ll be needing them now anyway.

On the TV, a flooded Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, a dark Manhattan, a crane dangling from atop a NYC high rise under construction. New Jersey looks hard hit, weathermen and women describe weather conditions to come. More than 600,000 are without power in NYC and  Westchester.

Before sunrise it’s hard to even know how bad the devastation. The Gowanus just a few blocks away  flooded familiar streets near our home. Park Slope may have averted disaster but Manhattan, especially below 34th Street, wasn’t so lucky.

Shock. Pain. Incredulity. A native New Yorker I don’t remember a situation like this before. 9/11 comes to mind as a similarly disorienting and traumatic event. We know from that experience that we can pull together, that we are resilient, that we will get through this.

Remember: this too shall pass—with a great deal of hard work on behalf of rescue workers who evoke our gratitude. But all of us will have to find a way to help those in need and muster our strength to get through this anomalous and disorienting situation.

NYC transit is suspended indefinitely, there are no bridges and tunnels and schools are closed. Our lives are now very hyperlocal. We really are quite isolated out here in the borough of Brooklyn

The question is: how long will it be before service returns? Some report that it could take up to a week for transit service to return.

Indeed, the city is at a standstill.

The following bridges and tunnels are closed: Henry Hudson, Throgs Neck, Bronx-Whitestone, Verrazano Narrows, Marine Parkway – Gil Hodges, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial, Ed Koch Queensboro, Manhattan, Outerbridge Crossing, Bayonne, Holland, and the Hugh Carey (formerly Brooklyn-Battery). Additionally, the George Washington Bridge is closed and the FDR Drive is closed from East 155 Street to the Battery.

What a list.

Needless to say, Alternative Side Parking (ASP) regulations and parking meter rules are suspended on Tuesday, 10/30, due to weather conditions. This will likely last for many days.

All MTA subway, commuter rail, and bus service is suspended citywide. Currently, there is no estimated time for service restoration. Staten Island Ferry service is suspended until further notice and East River Ferry Service is suspended for Tuesday, 10/30. All PATH train service and stations have shut down.

Most Amtrak service in the Northeast remains suspended on Tuesday, 10/30.

The kids will be happy to hear that all NYC Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, October 30, 2012. Due to transportation problems, I’m wondering when the DOE will be able to open schools again.

All City University of New York (CUNY) Colleges are officially closed Tuesday, October 30 and all classes are cancelled.

We  waited and watched.

In Park Slope power outages and flooding never came (though the Gowanus overflowed just blocks away). But on the television we watched as Con Edision transformers exploded, Manhattan went dark below 34th Street; fires raged in Queens; and water flooded subways and tunnels.

We waited and watched as trees flailed violently outside our Park Slope windows and images from lower Manhattan painted a portrait of life after wartime. A flooded metropolis astounded us. Catastrophic was a word that was bandied about. A back up generator at NYU failed and patients were shown being transferred to other hospitals. On Twitter, incredible images of a submerged FDR Drive, a soaked Penn Station, a dark Tribeca, a flooded  Stuyvesant Town in the East Village.

At 4AM Tuesday morning, my city is in ruins. A million are without power, the subways are stilled, stations soaked. The streets are canals, fires rages and forecasters discuss a bizarre convergence of weather systems that left unseen NYC destruction in its wake.

I wait and watch for the sunrise when my resilient city begins its slow recovery from this destruction.

Check out Brad Lander’s blog to read about Gowanus flooding. The Canal breached its banks in many places at high tide this morning. It is expected to flood at high tide tonight around 8:30 PM  and possibly tomorrow morning around 9AM.

 I have communicated with EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck and NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland. Thanks to both of them for making the time, and communicating quickly (with each other, and with me) about our concerns at the canal.

During the storm, stay out of Zone A near the canal. It will very likely flood again, with a high tide anticipated of 6 – 11 feet above normal. Everyone in Zone A should already have evacuated. In general, everyone who is not an emergency worker should stay inside tonight.

Found this picture on Found in Brooklyn. Blogger Lisanne has a lot more photos of the Gowanus on her blog.

From Eliot, who writes  Now I’ve Heard Everything: “I was out on 7th Avenue at 1:15 this afternoon and saw this tree down on Garfield Place between 6th and 7th Avenue.  The fire department was on the scene cutting the tree down, while police had blocked off the street so they could work.  One truck, on the north side of the street was damaged.  From my vantage point, I could not tell if the car nearest the tree on the south side of the street was OK or not.”

Any emergency is a litmus test that reveals much about the strengths and weaknesses of a marriage. Honestly, I’ve been a bit of a basket-case about Sandy, while my husband Huband has been much more chill.

Because I have a take-charge tendency, on Saturday morning I went to Fairway at 8:30 AM to  stock up on groceries and water. The store was crowded but I felt lulled by the task of filling my shopping cart while others did the same. Clearly, for many it was an appropriate way to quell one’s anxieties about the coming storm.

The Huband slept in.

Before I went to Fairway, I asked The Huband to take care of our flashlight situation. When I got home a few hours later he was still sleeping, seemingly unconcerned by urgent warnings about “Frankenstorm.”

By Sunday morning, he still hadn’t given any  thought to flashlights and batteries. I went ballistic. Clearly, he wasn’t all adrenaline-fueled and anxious about the foul, foul weather.  In fact, he didn’t seem worried at all.

That put me in a foul, foul mood.

It is a constant refrain around here that The Huband grew up on a farm and he’s prepared for anything. In other words, he’s in charge of fixing things, construction projects, cars, appliances, machines, toilets and FLASHLIGHTS.

Luckily, I was able to convince him to find all our flashlights and batteries. Which isn’t to say that he was willing do it on my timetable. I knew there were very long lines at the hardware store. While The Huband took a leisurely shower, I ran out to the store just to allay my fears that the store would sell out.

Standing on line I felt in control. I would get the flashlights and batteries and I would feel better in the process. Depending on someone else to soothe my anxiety is never a good idea.

I was still on line when The Huband showed up at the hardware store about a half hour later to assure me that we were in good shape regarding flashlights. Still, I decided to buy a LED flashlight, a big expensive thing.

It made me feel safe just to told that big, red, LED flashlight. Big Red. It also made me feel safe to finally have The Huband involved. Working as a team is soothing and smart in marriage and hurricanes.

Sunday afternoon, The Huband  spent an hour filling pots and pitchers with water. We talked about filling the bathtub. Cooperation goes a long way to alleviate anxiety. And a disaster shows you a lot about what does and doesn’t work in a marriage.

Pardon Me for Asking is the blog to watch for info about Carroll Gardens and the Gowanus. Here’s a picture Katia Kelly just posted on Twitter and on her blog.

At 12:30 PM in Zone C Park Slope, many stores are open and locals are shopping at Met, the Apple, other Korean Markets and at open cafes. Starbucks and Snice are closed. Lots of stores have giant blue tape X’s on their windows. But that doesn’t mean they’re closed. Many were uncertain as to when they would close

OPEN

Newstand between 3rd and 2nd Street on Seventh Avenue (They have C and D Cell batteries)

Tarzian Hardware: long line for batteries and flashlights

Met Food:  long line for groceries.

Back to the Land

Connecticut Muffin

Grand Canyon

Pino’s

Encore

Shawn’s

Community Bookstore

the pet shop

D’Vine Taste