What Happened: I have lived within walking distance of Raritan Bay in the Cliffwood Beach section of Aberdeen Township for over forty years. When Superstorm Sandy was approaching, my spouse went to Toms River to set up an emergency shelter with the American Red Cross while I stayed in the house and awaited the storm. When the second tree blew down against our house and the already high tide was expected to surge to my property's 20 feet above sea level, I relocated for the night to a friend's house a few miles from the shore. The roof tried to life off and trees fell all around his house, but a guiding hand laid the timbers neatly around the house. Traffic lights were out on State Highway 35, so I had to travel out of my way to get back to the shore. Along the way I saw small boats and pieces of dock along the roadway. Our powerline was lying in the yard and our electric meter was torn from the house. The power lines bringing power to our neighborhood would lie in a useless heap along Ocean Boulevard for the next two weeks. Fortunately, the water in Treasure Lake behind our house didn't rise high enough to endanger our us; neighbors in flood prone zones weren't so lucky. The chain link fence of the corner house nearest to the bay had been beaten by wave action until it rolled up into a twisted mess. Half a block down, there were kayaks in the roadway. A Bible group from Oklahoma came by and cut up our fallen trees for us. The first aid squad handed out emergency food kits. The neighborhood was dark but not quiet; many houses had acquired generators and they were humming. I'm attaching some photographs I took on 3 November 2012 down along the streets, beaches and seawall at Cliffwood Beach.
When Did it Happen: 2012-11-03
How Did it Affect You: I began to participate in environmental groups in the area, both municipal and non-governmental. I attended trainings and eventually did citizen science projects like MyCoast. I've won the King Tide photo contest two years in a row. While I'm no longer on the Aberdeen Township Environmental Board, I still attend and participate when I can. And I vote with the environment in mind.
Did The Experience Change How You Think About Flooding: After my firsthand experience with loss of power and resources in the wake of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, I realized just how perilous our situation is. I no longer take the status quo for granted. And I get frustrated as people ignore the obvious threat. They remind me of the people in the ballroom in the film The Poseidon Affair, the ones who ignored Gene Hackman's admonition to join him in escaping the ship. When they finally realized the danger, it was too late.