Part two
Right now my phone is charging but most of the cell towers were knocked out so
reception is very sketchy. Can't really make a call. They take forever to charge
too, so only texts. Sometimes have to stand on top of a
car and turn around to find a signal. So that's why everything is sketchy.
There is no Red Cross, no FEMA. Nothing. There is a curfew from 6am to 7pm
because we heard there was looting. At city hall they were just handing out
flyers that told you to get out and to stay away from the boardwalk because it
was dangerous. I looked the PR woman in the eye and said, "So you have nothing
useful. Just stupid paper to earn you overtime." And shoved it back in her
chest.
The National Guard is here patroling the streets. Overnight they brought in
portosans and we have one on our block. Some places have three, some ten some
one. Makes no sense.
As I mentioned, there was a huge truck with cases of MREs. The black people from
the projects got on line, got food and then got back on line again. It was gone
in no time.
I went by the insurance office. There was a sticker on the door that said "Talk
to us about flooding" ... but it was closed up tight.
I cannot begin to describe the devastation. That will have to wait until I am
able to post photos. Suffice it to say everything in our first floor is covered
in mud and who knows what else. I don't know if it will stand or not because the
crawl space is still flooded. Everything is toxic. I was downstairs making a
roast beef when I heard the gurgling and then saw the water coming up in the
floor. The roast is no more. I looked at the door and saw the rush of water and
we grabbed what we could and ran upstairs. The waves were crashing onto the
house at about 4 1/2 feet high. When I looked down the stairs later on, the
first thing flash light fell on was a print of Jesus, the Divine Mercy looking
directly up at me. I knew we would be OK.