Hope JJ is safe. 
Living in Long Beach we became used to the politicians telling us to get out every time a major storm was coming and an annual event. It was like the seasons changing watching the earth movers with city employees moving piles of sand in front of the boardwalk before every storm then moving it back if it remained afterwards. The police always drove up and down the beach and made sure nobody was under the boardwalk. A simple solution for everyone would have been to eliminate the problem once and for all while at the same time protecting our residents.
There's a brick structure parking garage one building over from the Allegria Hotel on the boardwalk that is 14 feet high and it got pounded by surf without any damage. Our boardwalk now is destroyed. The surf came up from the sea and brought the ability to fish right from everyone's front lawns. When they eventually rebuild the boardwalk anything less than a 14 foot high structure would be life threatening to the residents and it must be supported by a retaining wall in front of it. Paths down from the boardwalk can easily be placed in front of the structure for entrance to the beach. Further support can be sand and dirt top to bottom behind it. Instead of the sea pouring in from the beach under the boardwalk, it could easily be trapped for most of the city on the beach. As far as the bay is concerned, they can also raise the bulkhead to the same height. If there are places they cannot place these safeguards, the residents have the option to move. Small entrances for water are far better than an entire city under water. If they don't rebuild this city when they rebuild it to my specifications, I'll eventually wander away.
Our city is broke. More and more people have moved into our beautiful beachfront community annually as real estate has been built up and taxes have skyrocketed but so has our city's debt. Many working for our city receive free health insurance and the costs double for it every 5 years plus these jobs pay generous pension benefits. The debt to the taxpayer grows annually, and we float bonds to take on even more debt as we can't live within our means and nobody seems to want to.
Our school taxes are ludicrous and I get angry when my son tells me his wood shop teacher earned $120,761, his bio teacher earned $101,916, his gym teacher earned $141,464, his history teacher earned $127,044 and his geometry teacher earned $136,012 for a recent year. Their salaries are a matter of public record and the kids can look them up on line. These individuals also receive free health insurance and the tax burden is killing the residents. At least the teachers enjoyed this week as much as the residents did. If everyone had a natural gas generator they would have energy to power their homes and start repairing them but who can afford this expense on top of all the other expenses?
My real anger is with the Long Island Power Authority. They've charged us some of the highest energy rates in the nation year after year. Their executives have also paid themselves generously with fabulous benefits including great healthcare while not protecting or stabilizing their Iinfrastructure from shutting down on almost their complete servicing area of over 1 million customers which made living conditions intolerable, deplorable and even life threatening for numerous customers. If it wasn't for their complete lack of planning and execution this breakdown may not have occurred. I sincerely hope one day soon there's an inquiry to find out how (if) they prepared for this storm.
I've never experienced living conditions like these. No heat, useable water, electric, sewer, phone, cell, gasoline, or food. They've been giving out water and military self heating meals (I often wonder why the finer restaurants don't serve these foxhole treats) but the lines are long and some people bring their shopping carts and take way more than their fair share. You are welcome to get bussed to a public shelter, but I never wished to live like that. I stayed in my home all week while my family left every morning in search of tree limbs and branches and have been living in the living room by the fireplace. My wife has cooked regular meals off a grate in it and they have been quite delicious. The second night I barbequed in the backyard an entire freezer filled with frozen ribs and fed us, my daughter's friends and all our friends working at the Long Beach Police Department who are overwhelmed (looters) and working harder than possible. Many deserve medals for the amazing job they are doing.
We've shared everything we had with everyone who asked as these are deplorable living conditions. I escaped yesterday morning to beautiful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and have enjoyed many of the great amenities this wonderful city has to offer like heat, hot water, the ability to shower and electricity. We couldn't shower all week and heated water in a pot and turned our backyard into our new bathroom. While I always had a permit to own a .357, I never envisioned sleeping with it loaded next to me nightly but it also became a necessity. If someone broke in I would protect my family in any manner possible.
I heard but have not seen the electric company is inspecting homes individually to find out if they can turn the power on when it will be restored weeks later but we can't live in the home without any of the infrastructure necessary. When I left at 3:00 am yesterday driving through miles of unlit roads I hoped nobody tried to carjack us and did not stop until I got gas 140 miles away. This was the one time I didn't hit traffic in my life driving from my house to almost the end of New Jersey (made great time too). The only traffic was for miles if you were trying to purchase gasoline at one of the very few stations open. While not home I constantly worry about looters and there is absolutely nothing I can do as I cannot live in those putrid conditions although the home is being watched by several neighbors watching all the homes around.
When I purchased my home I ripped down the upstairs sheet rock and re-supported the roof with tons of extra 2 x 6's and 2 x 8's. I added additional roof supports every 8 feet and tied them all across the entire house. I put a new roof on the house plus siding and giant metal supports across the entire back of the home where about 25 giant solar panels sit. I did not lose a thing on my property (yet) and did not sustain any structural damage I know of. The house stood up to the best the storm had to offer. What the home could not stand up to was the constant stream of prime Long Beach sewage seeping in from under it through our basement shower drain at a high rate of speed. I brought in every garbage pail, used pots, recycling bins, etc, but the water level overwhelmed us and crept up 7 inches of foul smelling stench in the entire basement. I purchased 20 gallons of bleach on my 2 trips to Home Depot and the second time they wouldn't allow me back into Long Beach and after arguing with an officer I gunned it and dared him to chase me. I was not leaving my family alone without me.
The City By The Sea became the City In The Sea and if you wish to live in a war zone with amenities such as freezing cold, outdoor bathrooms, cold undrinkable water to shower in, fecal matter in your home, no lighting or any electric whatsoever, there is plenty of prime real estate to be had.
If we can get power, my contractor and two of his friends will move in for several months rent free while he repairs the place. He's worked for me all year and made the basement a palace which my son moved into. Now the boy lost his home and is on the road with me in Pennsylvania. My daughter's two closest friends will also move in with us as they too need places to live. I only hope when I return home my belongings are still in it. I took all my kids piggy banks with us, broke them and put them in coin counters at a bank yesterday. Most of our valuables are in a safe at Chase and the rest is in a safe here. I couldn't take my gun across state lines and hid it with a trigger lock on it. Neighbors are around watching and I will be back home later in the week to return the favor. It's time to appreciate the finer things in life, like flicking a switch and actually having a light go on. My wife was awesome. My daughter was amazing and didn't seem to mind. My son at 14 years old manned up.
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger but I don't feel like Hercules. It could be worse, we could still be Met season ticket holders. At least I'm not missing any NHL hockey and no longer seem to care.
