When predictions of Hurricane Sandy were made, no one quite knew exactly how devastating it would be. States around and including New Jersey are not accustomed to experiencing natural disasters, unlike states like California or Florida. Most of us went to the food store to stock up on food, found some flash lights, and hoped for the best. Little did we know this "super storm" could change our lives as we know it.
Hurricane Sandy has turned millions of lives on the East Coast upside down, especially in New jersey. Millions of people lost power for a week and some continue to live without power and heat. Trees have fallen on top of houses, roads, and power lines. Gas lines have waits as long as five hours. Some houses were flooded and now have lasting water damage.The Jersey shore has been destroyed. Full houses have been ripped from their foundations and moved somewhere else. Rides along the boardwalk at Seaside are now floating along the ocean current. Houses are completely destroyed and families have nowhere to come home to. Living in north Jersey, going "down the shore" is something we can all enjoy every summer. It is truly sad to think the beloved shore where we have had so many memories is gone and cannot be fixed any time soon.
In an article in Psychology Today "What We Re-Learn in Crisis" Marietta McCarty talks about Hurricane Sandy in a much brighter light. Although the negatives of the storm are obvious and dominant, she suggests looking at some benefits. She said that as a community, we all stuck together and helped each other out. We got away from our hectic lives and focused on the things that are most important to us. We got in touch with our families and friends, helped a neighbor if they needed it, and showed how much we care about each other.
Do you agree with Marietta? Did we all band together as a community and help each other during this crisis? Or were we only concerned about our own well being and survival?
Hurricane Sandy definitely came as a surprise to most of the east coast and resulted in down power lines, destroyed homes and left people hopeless. I think in this time of need people did band together to help the greater cause. I know many NY marathon runners took time to lend a hand to those without power, food or a home.
ReplyDeleteIn Hoboken, inhabitants with power lent out extension cords from their homes in to the street for people to charge cell phones. Some people even unlocked their wifi to allow others the availability of the internet. Restaurant owners with no power to refrigerate their food, cooked meals for anybody who walked by, free of charge.
Friends of mine offered to have me over as long as I wanted in order to experience heat, lights and television. Neighbors worked together to remove branches and trees out of yards, just taking the first step in reconstruction and getting back on our feet. So I do agree with Marietta, that in times of crisis, complete strangers are willing to help those in need. While over the break, the IHA community was devising a plan to start aiding Hurricane Sandy victims in the hardest hit areas of New Jersey. People across the nation are coming to help restore power in homes and bring assistance to those who are struggling. Those complete strangers are taking their time to help us and for them I am truly thankful.
Of course, certain people got a little crazy by stealing gas or cutting the 4 hour gas lines because this storm caused a major panic. There is will always be those people who get riled up and angry because they are scared and worried. But most people learned to be patient and understand that they are not the only ones without power or gas and that some people have it much worse. Coming together for a common cause is the only way to rebuild the area, and as the roads become clearer and power is being restored, I feel that people are coming to rescue others from trouble.
I personally do agree with Marietta. I think that although people were concerned with their own survival, people came together to help each other. I personally did not have a generator, hot water or power for an entire week. It was surprising to see how many people offered up their homes, so that my family and I were able to stay warm. Many of the restaurants in both Ramsey and Allendale opened up their doors and gave away free food to the members of the community. It is incredible that during times of disaster, entire communities are able to ban together to help each other. The kids in my neighborhood joked that we had to much Canterbury bonding time, but in reality it was a good chance to reconnect with friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. During the power outages, the entire community was able to come together and reconnect.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the Sandy chaos, I definitely noticed the banding together of neighbors, friends, and even strangers. So many people opened up their homes to those who had nowhere to go in the dark and the cold. I often came home to what looked like a "streetmeeting" in the middle of my block, all of the mothers (including my own) of my street gathered in a group just talking about what to do next. Our street had never looked so horrible, with power lines all over the place and trees blocking the road. Yet, this sense of community made Bayberry Lane a happy place to be. All of our families coming together made the disaster just a little bit easier to get through, and every bit of comfort helps in times like these.
ReplyDeleteA few days after the storm, however, I saw that the opposite was true of people. The never-ending lines for gas and the low supply of food, water, and supplies in stores throughout New Jersey were causing people to grow desperate and selfish. I woke up at 6am to wait on a gas line for 2 and a half hours, only to watch men screaming at each other for a good half of the time. What had happened to the camaraderie I saw just days before in my own neighbors? It's amazing to see the shift of attitudes in people once they realize they need to fend for themselves, and only themselves.
I have to agree with Noelle. Crisis can bring out the best or the worst in people. My next door neighbor has a generator running through her entire house and offered for my family and I to come over and share in the benefit of their power, then let us plug an extension cord to power some of our house. A family friend also loaned us a generator after opening their heated and home (and showers) to us.
ReplyDeleteWhile all of these people were extremely generous and kind, I had plenty of negative experiences with rude, selfish people. People cutting in lines at the gas pump, refusing to sell me gas tanks to fill the generator because all 300 in the store were 'already accounted for by other costumers", and people with power being exclusive, selfish, and unwelcoming. It all depends on how you look at it. I personally believe it has made us a stronger state, and we all feel the same pain for the loss of our vacation place at the jersey shore. If you ignore the bad and focus on the good, I think that the overall situation can be argued as a positive.
I agree with both Noelle and Julia. The beginning of the storm brought out the best in people. People opened their homes to those who lost power. Everyone drove cautiously and courteously. I can remember driving down the street, coming to a light that had lost power, and having to trust my fellow drivers to operate under four-way stop sign rules. I found that most people would not take advantage of the opportunity no stop lights presented to speed through or cut people off.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as the days without power continued, people's patience seemed to wither. People were now short with each other, where before they had been patient and helpful. With the gas shortage especially, it was evident that everyone was out for themselves. There were even cases of guns being used in an effort to force themselves to the front of the gas line. Perhaps people's responses were due to the degree of damage they suffered and perhaps as a few people became less considerate, more followed suit.
I think everyone agrees that the storm brings out both the best and worst in people. I have seen countless efforts of people to band together and help with relief efforts after the storm--especially down the shore. Communities working together can even be seen in our own school, as we work with food and clothing drives to help those affected by the hurricane. In cases where the hurricane brought out the best in people, I heard stories like a man who owned a restaurant and due to losing power, had to get rid of all his food. Instead of throwing it all out, he cooked it all and was handing it out in Hoboken--for free.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the worst was definitely brought out in people in the gas lines, as Noelle noted. I think a big part of the issue was the panic that arose in most people. In a state of desperation, having something so vital as gas taken away shook most people. Most expected to lose power during the hurricane, but lose the availability of gas, and the ability to drive around? I think because it was such a surprise to everyone, panic exploded, and was the cause behind most of the rash actions people took to get what they wanted so badly.
In our society, instant gratification is expected. The frustrations that surfaced from everyone waiting to get their power back was definitely fueled by this mindset. Waiting over a week for power seemed endlessly long to people, and I heard many complaints from my mom's friends about how the "lazy" PSE&G workers should be there throughout the night, working on the power lines. What people failed to realize was that in most cases, there weren't enough workers to work throughout the night, or even the gas to get places. Additionally, for every complaint I heard, I saw a Florida or other out-of-state license plate on a PSE&G truck. Although I still do not have cable back, I have come to realize that at least I have my house--and eventually I will get internet back. Situations of crisis can bring out the best in people--forming communities to work together--but as panic, frustration, and desperation rises, it can also bring out the worst.
I think everybody talking about how this brings out the best and worst in people is very true. On the one hand, there were arguing in the lines for gas and water with one woman even faking a pregancy to get to the head of the line because she was in labor (until a pillow fell out of her stomach!). However there were moments of community strength that were inspiring. I just got power back today at around 7 PM. This last week when it was freezing, we struggled to keep warm in our own house. And then Thursday, somebody who had got power back lent us their generator, knowing that we were virtually freezing. While the negative aspects of the disaster may seem harsh, I would rather like to focus on the positive that came out of this crisis. Neighbors helping neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that crisis brings out the best and worst in people. It pushes the limits of people when it effects their daily lives. I've seen the neighbor who will open their door to a friend in need of heat, but also the man who will punch a woman square in the face because she cut him off on a gas line...with his 3 kids in the back seat. Although we all want to look at the positive reactions, it's difficult to separate them completely from the negative. If these kinds of reactions happen with inconveniences, like long gas lines, what could happen if a person's necessities were to be threatened, like food and water? It's scary to wonder how far someone might go to find what he needs to survive. I'm certainly not trying to sound pessimistic; I was thrilled to learn of the marathon runners who instead took their time to clean out and rebuild...but then on the day the power went out, I also heard of NYC cops patrolling Manhattan because of the excessive looting that was already occurring. It seems very evident that their are those who take a crisis and immediately ask "what can I do to help?", versus those who seem to ask "what's in it for me?".
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that's been discussed so far, crisis definitely does bring out the best and worst in people, it just depends on the people and, I think, where the Crisis takes place. If something like this had happened out in California, say, where they're equipped to handle natural disasters, I think people might be more inclined to help others rather than be selfish about it, because they've all been there at one point or another and they know how to handle it. We didn't quite know how to handle it here, so the reactions quickly turned from our social instinct to help others to our first instinct, survival, which unfortunately manifested in selfishness.
ReplyDeleteI don't honestly know how I feel about this. I see everyone's point that the storm brings out the best in people. The amount of tv programs I saw of people helping out was endless. I mean, I even called Red Cross and offered to volunteer with two of my friends. Usually, I see those commercials and ignore them. The fact that I called the number on the screen shocked even me. So yes, in that regard, I completely see it bringing the best out of people.
ReplyDeleteBut on the other hand, I think the bad kind of outweighs the good in these situations. I mean, I see the full force goodness- but I feel like the devastating damages last much longer than the desire for the people to reach out. Sooner or later, unfortunately usually sooner, another tragedy comes along. You're worrying about work the next day, or even what you're going to have for dinner. I kind of look at it like this- you know how the gym always miraculously gets more crowded right after New Years? I'm sure those people mean well, and it's amazing the amount of effort they are willing to put in. The problem is, however, is that number dwindles after about the first month. I feel like people look at the damages the same. They mean well, but just other things get in the way of them trying to help.