It was a long night. The power went out in Sheepshead Bay at 7:56 and still has not returned. I'm writing this from my sister's house in Bensonhurst. Last night I fell asleep to the sound of the pumps in the courtyard below my windows. It was such a relief when daylight appeared. Unfortunately, the news wasn't good for many of my neighbors. All the cars parked in the basement garages of the complex were totaled by the water that engulfed them. My main concern was my own car, so it was with trepidation that I made my way toward Avenue Y, side-stepping a couple of downed wires, which may have been TV cables. I kept my distance, just in case. I'd parked my Hyundai away from any trees. To my relief, there wasn't a puddle around it, and the interior was dry. Dumb luck, I suppose. I took a stroll through the neighborhood. I noticed a downed tree and huge puddle further along Y. When I got to Sheepshead Bay Road, I was stunned. A vending machine had floated across the street, as had a few wooden fruit and vegetable stands. There were cars in the middle of the road. At first I assumed they'd been abandoned. Then I realized that they too must have floated there. The car of the handicapped woman I accompany to the doctor had not suffered any exterior damage, but the interior was soaked. I cleaned it out later in the day. I decided not to try to start it for fear the dampness would cause a short. She won't be using the car soon, so I figured it would be best to let it dry out. It may be unsalvageable, however.
At the foot of the Bay, the two shops closest to the corner of Emmons Avenue, a convenience store and a hair salon, were severely damaged, windows smashed. If I'd reached under the railing on the concourse, I might have been able to touch the water line. I'd never seen it that high. As I walked to the lower end, I realized it must have overflowed earlier, as there were two boats that had floatied over the pedestrian bridge that connects Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach. It will take a crane or helicopter to get them back on the other side. As I reached the overpass that spans above the Belt Parkway, there were cars parked on both sides, some on the sidewalk, smart pre-emptive moves against flooding.
I spent most of the day reading, the sound of sirens and pumps a constant in the background. At about three-thirty I decided I didn't want to spend another night in the dark with no diversion available other than my own thoughts, so I headed to my sister's. The traffic signals were down for the first half of the ride, which normally takes less than 15 minutes. I had to detour at Bay 40th Street, as a huge fallen tree was blocking both lanes of Benson Avenue. When I got to the house, I noticed the basement door was open. My oldest niece, Isabel, was cleaning up. I helped her bail what remained of the water. Between cleaning out my friend's car and hauling away all the soaked, weighted pillows and mats, and carrying big buckets of water out to the street, I worked as hard as I have in a long time. Still, I'm so lucky compared to so many unfortunates in the path of Sandy. There's one word to describe her, one which Emily Litella/Gilda Radner used to describe Jane Curtin on the old SNL newscasts: "Bitch!"
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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