Sandy's Visit

We came through the outskirts of Sandy ok.  We lost power here for 26 or 27 hours.  We purchased a generator some years ago at the same time we bought our chest freezer.  We've never had ti use it, until this storm.  It's large enough that with the proper transfer switch installed by an electrician, it could power various parts of the house nicely.  Unfortunately we never followed through with hiring an electrician, so I was left to run extension cords through the slider to run the fridge.  A second cord I used on the kitchen counter for two incredibly important appliances.  The coffee grinder, and the coffee pot.  A third cord ran through the basement door to the freezer.

I had set the freezer temp to -10 degrees F prior to the storm anticipating the power loss.  When I finally powered it with the generator the internal temp had risen to 23 degrees.  It's likely that it would have stayed below freezing by the time the power was restored, but why risk it if I was already running the generator anyway?

Here in Falmouth, Sandy took out some roadways and beaches that normally see water come up in a good storm, but there was a little more inundation this time.

Not much else on this storm other than we lost only limbs here at FBF and it could have been so much worse.  One day it will come, and I hope to be ready for it.

Some pics from the storm:

 The Menauhant Beach area of Falmouth.

 One of several homes boarded up in Menauhant Beach.  This yard was covered in water, sand and debris after the storm really got going.

 Menauhant.

 Menauhant Road.  There is a person standing by the bridge in the distance...

 This shot was taken immediately after the one shown above.  You can just make out the person standing there as he/she was swallowed up by the wave.  The person was fine.  A number of these giant concrete seawall blocks were displaced and the roadway destroyed.

 The Clam Shack at the entrance to Falmouth Harbor.  Eventually the entire corner on which this and other buildings stand was inundated.

 Elm Road at Surf Drive..

 The 10 mile marker for the Cape Cod Marathon Half which had been run Just two days before the storm.  The full marathon and relay, in which I participated in, were run on Sunday.  I ran the anchor leg and Surf Drive was part of that.

 Some surf, and snow fencing (used as sand fencing here) at Surf Drive.

 The two shots above are of Surf Drive.  This is part of the final leg of the marathon relay and there is also a race scheduled for Sunday that uses the route as well.  I'm hoping our DPW can clear the sand, rocks and debris and repair the roadway in time.

Nobska Lighthouse.  The wind was really whipping up here on the bluff.

 One of many obstacles to get around...

I went back and checked some of the same areas on Wednesday.

 Elm Road & Surf Drive.  The water made it just beyond the line of sand seen in the road way.

 The worst damage on Surf Drive lies just beyond the barrels.

Surf Drive near Elm Road.  Most of the sand had been cleared to the side of the road.

 Surf Drive near Mill Road still flooded by water from Vineyard Sound.

 Bristol Beach near Falmouth Heights.  Crews were working diligently to open and secure this channel which feeds Little Pond.

Menauhant Road closed at Maravista Ave.  This is the other end of the road pictured earlier (where the person was soaked by the wave)

All in all, not bad.  I think the crews will have the roads along the water back together again in no time.  Sad what has happened, especially in NY and NJ.  I heard a profound statement by Al Roker in response to a question about so many recent "100-year storms".  He said, "I think this is, in a sense, the new normal."  I agree.