As you may have heard, we have had a little storm in NJ. In fact almost a week after the storm a good amount of the state is still underwater. We lost power Saturday night and just got it back midday yesterday (Wednesday).
It has been quite the adventure to be sure. I had prepared with batteries and food and flashlights and lots of beer. I knew we would be ok unless:
a) a tree went through my house
b) the roof I have been getting estimates to replace decided to die early
or
c) we lost power.
Even though I live very close to both a bay and an ocean, I can’t remember the last time I have lost power. I guess Iwas in denial. Well, the trees stayed up. The roof is still on. But the power went out. And before the storm had really gotten going.
At about midnight on Saturday everything shut off and it got very dark. I also started screaming some very nice little curse words so loudly my neighbors heard them. I don’t care about the dark or not having tv. I care that my two sump pumps would no longer pump out the 12 inches of rain we were about to get.
Here is what happened.
These pictures were after we started to be pumped out. You will see my little energy hog of a furnace from 1973 (in olive green of course) is getting wet. You will see my lovely miter saw on a small table hovering over a pond. My workshop is down her so there was so much that could get wet. At the height of it, there was probably 6-7 inches of water but I don’t have pictures of that. There was too much panic and exhaustion to take pictures at that point. My boyfriend and I were taking turns sleeping while the other carried buckets in the beginning. After a while we lost ground and just went to sleep.
My friend Greg arrived to pump us out with a generator at one point but he needed it at home so the dry floor was short lived. It all came racing back in. Then there was the search for a generator. There were long lines with people in actual fist fights (insert something about goodwill toward man). The we finally got lucky. We were #29 in line and there was a shipment of 50.
I have never seen something so beautiful before. My new generator!
We are now pumped out without too much damage. The upsides? My basement has been reorganized. The fridge kept the beer cold even without power (which helped keep me a bit calmer). The boyfriend and I did not kill each other. And I was reminded I have great neighbors who all look out for each. Life could be a lot worse.
