inKLine Media

Live from New York City

By Bill Kaye

Live From New York

Hurricane Sandy battered the New York metro area and much of the Northeast with all the fury that weather reports predicted.  Thus far, the storm has claimed 9 lives in my borough alone.

Here on Staten Island, wind gusts exceeded 70 mph. The 800 mile-wide hurricane rattled windows, tossed trees and pounded residents with storm surges.  Downed trees, power outages and flooding have affected most of the borough.

Near my current location–just a five minute walk from the mandatory evacuation area–the winds and tidal surges ejected numerous boats from the marina docks on to the streets.  North of here, a 183-foot tanker washed up onto the shore.  To the south, some homes that stood for years simply vanished.  Islanders note that the aftermath looks more like that of a tsunami than a hurricane.

With New York State officials having declared a state of emergency since Monday, school closings will extend into next Monday. The New York Stock Exchange finally reopened this morning with the aid of back-up generators, but most New Yorkers are only starting to regain their senses.

The damage has caused an extensive loss to thousands in the region, but some lost more than they can ever possibly regain.