It all started on October 28, 2012. I was at my aunt's house in Elmhurst, Queens the skies were gray and it looked like it was going to be a long stormy night. The reason of going to my aunt's house that day was because of a small get together my aunt hosted at her house. As time went by it was soon to be 7 in the evening and people were starting to leave soon. It was now 8 pm when all our family friends left and it was only family left. It was already getting late, the winds were getting stronger and the rain was a bit harder than it was during the early evening. All I was thinking was, "what if there is no school tomorrow" suddenly I had a gut feeling after I heard the strong winds hitting my aunt's living room windows. I told my family to check the news about the absurd and treacherous weather we're having. Grabbing the remote all we saw all over the news was a weather warning alert. A hurricane named Sandy was heading towards the east coast. Minutes later, on the bottom of the screen on the Fox News channel ran across a notification that said that, "Schools are cancelled tomorrow due to the extreme weather conditions". My cousins has already left and my parents were telling my sister and I that we better get going now it's already late. My sister and I were afraid to even step out of my aunt's house, we were afraid to go outside towards the hurricane; "what if we have a car accident", "what if there was a flood" "what if a tornado hits NYC?" All these questions started to question in our minds and we repeated them to our parents. We were convincing our parents to stay for the night because there was no school anyways so why not. I remember I even double checked on my school website to see wether or not there was school tomorrow for me...and it was true.
After 10 minutes my parents finally agreed for us to stay the night however my parents unfortunately, unlike my sister and I had to go to work tomorrow and my dad had work tonight so they had to go home.
My parents left around 9 pm. After 10:30 pm the storm was getting worse, lightning stroked NYC every now and then. 11:30 my mom called and told my aunt and I about how the security management in our building knocked on the door telling her to leave and evacuate the apartment. Back in my aunt's house we were hearing FOX News and all other news channel telling District one, literally near the East River which was where I live to evacuate immediately. My mom told us that she agreed and she told the security that she has to pack up her stuff to get ready to leave. I was nervous for her. Call ended.
12 pm: my mom called me again that she saw Con-Edison explode. She now had no electricity gradually also having no water. My mom was even more frightened. My mom alone at our house, while my sister, my aunt, my uncle, and I were all at my aunt's apartment in Queens where there is a far distance between the river and the apartment.
The third call was the most shocking. It was around 3 or 4 am my aunt picked up the phone, my sister and I were asleep already. However, my aunt told me when we woke up the next day. It was about my dad. His journey back home from work. My aunt told us the story, my dad had to park more than 4 blocks aways from home due to the harsh floods near our house. He had to swim home, the water was as high as his stomach was. The lobby door of the house was blocked by a few sandbags. It was incredible on top of all the water how my dad moved all the sandbags to get through the door. But my sister and I was relieved that my dad got home safely but not relieved that my dad's clothes were all soaking wet due to all the swimming he had to do to get home.
Hurricane Sandy was one of the most significant experience my family and I have gone through. Similar to Cal's stories about the burning buildings and the snipers looting the stores, Hurricane Sandy has impacted my family's life and has emphasized that Cal's family and my family has gone through a lot to survive through a treacherous event in our lives.
After 10 minutes my parents finally agreed for us to stay the night however my parents unfortunately, unlike my sister and I had to go to work tomorrow and my dad had work tonight so they had to go home.
My parents left around 9 pm. After 10:30 pm the storm was getting worse, lightning stroked NYC every now and then. 11:30 my mom called and told my aunt and I about how the security management in our building knocked on the door telling her to leave and evacuate the apartment. Back in my aunt's house we were hearing FOX News and all other news channel telling District one, literally near the East River which was where I live to evacuate immediately. My mom told us that she agreed and she told the security that she has to pack up her stuff to get ready to leave. I was nervous for her. Call ended.
12 pm: my mom called me again that she saw Con-Edison explode. She now had no electricity gradually also having no water. My mom was even more frightened. My mom alone at our house, while my sister, my aunt, my uncle, and I were all at my aunt's apartment in Queens where there is a far distance between the river and the apartment.
The third call was the most shocking. It was around 3 or 4 am my aunt picked up the phone, my sister and I were asleep already. However, my aunt told me when we woke up the next day. It was about my dad. His journey back home from work. My aunt told us the story, my dad had to park more than 4 blocks aways from home due to the harsh floods near our house. He had to swim home, the water was as high as his stomach was. The lobby door of the house was blocked by a few sandbags. It was incredible on top of all the water how my dad moved all the sandbags to get through the door. But my sister and I was relieved that my dad got home safely but not relieved that my dad's clothes were all soaking wet due to all the swimming he had to do to get home.
Hurricane Sandy was one of the most significant experience my family and I have gone through. Similar to Cal's stories about the burning buildings and the snipers looting the stores, Hurricane Sandy has impacted my family's life and has emphasized that Cal's family and my family has gone through a lot to survive through a treacherous event in our lives.
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