Hurricane Sandy

In the midst of the whirlwind called #Hurricane Sandy, the Lord whistled. The antique iron gates surrounding the corner of 80-year-old Trenton Central High School at Greenwood & Quinton Aves. in Trenton, NJ were disfigured on Monday (10/29/12).

More than 2.5 million people in New Jersey, 8 million overall, lost power in a matter of minutes that day. Power outages increased by the hour. My family was one of them. No electricity, no heat, no cooking, no phone service and no internet. In the thickness of the night, we sat together around candlelight, appreciative of every flame. We used flashlights to navigate our way from room-to-room. (Made me wonder what people did before there was electricity. Maybe that’s why families were much larger in those days. J)

     (Deep tree roots barely seen fed the tree that pulled a piece of the road off when it fell. No more parking under the shaded tree.)

   

I was shocked at the widespread thick darkness in the neighborhoods with unmanned flashing traffic lights and sometimes no flashing lights at all. “Free-for-all” driving through intersections were filled with near misses. 

Standing tall, facing 400 Chambers Street in Trenton, the stately Trenton High is one of the largest and most expensive high schools built in the country. Stretching broadly for almost 1000 feet, nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall, the high school remains as one of the showplaces of Trenton. Perhaps that is why Hurricane Sandy’s toppled tree became a tourist attraction throughout the week.

Good news for those with restored power, but many victims remain without power surrounded by downed trees and power lines. Power companies continue to work feverishly.

Please help make a difference for storm-ravaged victims. Donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund (redcross.org).

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given. (Proverbs 19:17)

By Darlene Womack