Superstorm Sandy: See + Help
Captivating images and ways you can contribute to relief efforts
As our readers may have noticed from our limited publishing schedule this week, CH HQ has been pulled out of commission by massive power outages in the wake of superstorm Sandy. While our core team has emerged unscathed save for some extended power outage inconveniences, several thousands of people along the East Coast of the US and Canada, and in the Caribbean have been profoundly affected by the all-powerful Mother Nature. We felt compelled to share sources for the most captivating images of the storm and its destruction, as well as a number of ways that you can help if you’re in a position to do so.
The Big Picture captured the myriad moments of post-storm wreckage and the humanity of rescue and restoration efforts in NYC and down the New Jersey shoreline. The world watched as these snapshots, from floating cars in the Financial District to entire neighborhoods burned to the ground, reiterated the storm’s devastating effects.
In Manhattan, exploding transformers shut down power south of 40th Street to create a remarkable visual tale of two cities. A time-lapse video tracks the weather system’s progress as it makes landfall, batters the most populated patch of land in the country and rapidly shuts half of her down.
In the boroughs of New York, the Mass Transit Authority (MTA) suffered unprecedented damage causing temporary total shutdown and the suspension of partial restored bus service due to dangerous blackout conditions on the roads. The MTA Flickr feed reveals the crippled lines from downed trees on tracks to flooded tunnels that will take months to repair.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted interactive birds-eye-views of the damage wrought on the New Jersey shore. Spotted on Txchnologist, the images, shot from 7,500 feet, show off the dramatic shift in topography as a result of Sandy, which obliterated a section of the Atlantic City boardwalk and essentially separated Long Beach Island in two.
How to help:
The Red Cross is accepting disaster relief donations (minimum $10) online, over the phone by calling (800) RED-CROSS or via text message (text REDCROSS to 90999).
Online art resource 20×200 presents “Blue Marble” as their newest edition, an aerial shot of Earth taken from NASA’s GOES-13 satellite that conveys just how massive the storm system was. Proceeds from the sale of the hauntingly beautiful print ($24-$2,400) will benefit the Red Cross relief efforts.
Paper Tastebuds alerted us to the movement by Masbia to provide NYC soup kitchens with emergency meals that are fresher and lower in sodium than the standard government issue. Just $6 buys one meal and donations can be made in varying denominations online.
The Brooklyn Kitchen is spearheading efforts to deliver food to the devastated coastal Rockaway Beach communities hit hard by the storm. Local NYC residents can visit the website for more information on how to deliver household goods and non-perishables to those in need.
The ASPCA reports a significant population of beloved pets were left behind during evacuation procedures along the East Coast, and in the aftermath the stranded creatures are in need of medical help and new homes. Donations and inquiries about adoption can be made via the ASPCA website.
