Aftermath – Views of White Plains after the storm

Hi Tina,

I've never seen  anything like it and I've lived here all my life.  The ground was just so soaked that perfectly healthy trees were just lifted up by the roots.

Hi Rose,

I thought it was going the other way!   Power is supposed to be coming back on!  Were you in a hot spot that lost a lot of power?  It could be they turned you off to repair a general line.  Although that is usually more temporary.  But Scarsdale is the hardest hit.  Hang in there - I know how you feel.  Do you at least have hot water?  That helped A LOT!

Hi Lenn,

I guess that people don't anticipate that we would have a prolonged blackout.  A few people I know have sump pumps with a 3 day backup.  Of course we are now on day 5 so those folks have a problem if they are still out. 

Hi Sharon,

One of those Would have landed on my house.  The other would have hit my neighbors car.

Hi Carole,
I don't doubt it.  You were on the leading edge.  It must have worse for you than it was for us.  Areas near the LI Sound were hit particularly hard.  Mamaroneck, Larchmont etc.  Scarsdale, was hit the worst, but it is land-locked.   The River Towns did not appear to be hit as hard and they were further west  - although Greenburgh (the municipality for most of the river towns) had a very high percentage of homes blacked out.

Hi Joseph,

It's very sad to see "old growth" trees knocked over like that.  The ground was just sooooo soaked, they couldn't stand up to the winds.

Hi Coleen,

We've had a couple of beautiful days.  I hope it stays dry for a couple of weeks at least.  We really need to dry out - big time.

Hi Liz,

It sure was! Scarsdale homes are offering a new feature - indoor pools in the basement.

Hi Eric,

People are still in them.   Quite a few still without power after five days.

Hi Vickie,

I'm in the process of dealing with the damage.  I have power now!  Thank GOD!!!  A lot of people don't though.

Hi Christine,

I think this is an issue that will be addressed. NYC always seems to get first dibbs.  But this time the major problem area was Westchester and efforts should have been concentrated in areas that needed it the most.

Hi Monique,

The mature trees give many of our neighborhoods their character.  THeir loss will be seriously felt.  My other concern is that Con Ed will take down a ton more.   Although lines need to be protected, We shouldn't be hacking down all the trees lining the streets.

Hi Catherine,
I'm still picking my way through the closed streets. Many side streets are still blocked.  Its a real  mess.

Hi Claudette,
I don't scare easily.  That storm had me scared.  It was a scary storm to live through.

Hi Mary,

It's very hard to realize how many trees were lost.  The damage is literally everywhere - most of the trees were taken up by the roots. Unbelievable.

Hi Sherry,

Basements are the rule here.  But the area has a very high water table as well.  We have had such wet weather since the beginning of 2009 that sump pumps were working overtime as it was.  Throughout 2009 I can not recall more than two consecutive days where it didn't rain.  I had a deck I needed to reseal.  I needed about three days for the fix. Power wash - allow to dry, apply sealant - let it dry - apply another coat.   I tried to get that job done from April to Nov.  There wasn't one window of consistant weather for me to get the job done.  So every resource to control water was strained beyond belief.   This storm was the final straw.  People who don't think the climate is changing - need to think again. This severe increase in precipitation is an ominous sign.