Hurricane Sandy - the day after

Hamilton Heights may not be the classiest of places, but because it is on a hill (something like 120 feet above sea level) we were safe.  We also retained electricity, hot water and internet access the entire time aside from a few light flickers.  Occasionally we felt a subtle building shimmy, and a few times I wondered if a bedroom window was going to stay in place while we were asleep.  That was the worst of it.  We are lucky. 

The New York Times posted a particularly interesting time-lapse video from the 51st floor of their building on 42nd street.  

I had Monday off work as a regular part of my Tuesday-Saturday schedule.  Nathan's work closed because the trains were shut down Sunday evening.  I didn't know what to expect during Tuesday's walk to work.  With such a foul weather lead up I had assumed it would take just as long to die down.  In the end I got patches of sun and only occasional wind.  Nathan returned to work today (Wednesday) via foot.  Tomorrow the subways are returning with partial service, meaning operating on one train per track in those area unaffected by water damage or power outages.  The A train runs local from 168th by my hospital to 42nd street by Nathan's store.  Again, we are lucky. 

Here you'll find photos of the damage found uptown.  Fell trees, an occasional broken car window, mild flooding in an area where common even with normal rain, tattered deli signs.  The crux of the clean up is sweeping away all the leaves.

It's a downright boring story for us, really.

(All photos taken Tuesday 10/30/2012.)

South bound west side highway, closed with boggy ankle-deep water.  Workers had to find and manually unclog drains one at a time.

Along the bike path/west side highway, view of Jersey across the Hudson.

Subways were closed. This station still is.

A cemetery on 155th St at Broadway.

A downsized staff working to maintain full operations.

12th Ave, ~136th St, mere feet above the Hudson River, which is on the other side of the building.  Over the retaining wall starts Hamilton Heights, our neighborhood.

Another view for perspective.

Same retaining wall.

Riverside Drive at 165th St, next to the dog run and NYPresbyterian.

Same trees, view of their remaining trunk.

Downed sign on Broadway ~160th St.

One of numerous exits from Riverside Park, ~104th St (?).  Trunk sections were over a foot in diameter.

In the area where we were almost hit by a falling branch while out being curious idiots.  The van was not so lucky.

Hurricane Sandy [updated]

7:15 a.m.: Hudson River, from Riverside and 135th St

9:15 a.m.: Hudson River, from the bike path ~ 150th St

Midday update:

12:30 p.m.: Again from the bike path, now with spittle rain and an increase in waves.  And ducks.

Evening update:

5:20 p.m.: Felled tree, Riverside at 147th Street

6:00 p.m.: Hudson River in the southern shadow of the George Washington Bridge

6:15 p.m.: Trees previously intact on our way out to the Hudson were down on our return trip.  This one missed us by about ten feet.

Yea, we're those jackasses out wandering in the pre-storm with cameras.  But we are safely indoors now that the real post-tropical cyclone >50mph winds and rain are in full stride.  Our building, which directly adheres to neighboring buildings, has shook a few times.  And our bedroom window seems a little sketch.  Not as in leaky, but as in the whole window shimmies.  Merus has been laying on someone's lap quite literally 95% of the day.  Sadie only got freaked out an hour ago when the real stuff started and our phones started chirping with emergency alert texts.  Earlier, though, they were like this: