For the second straight year, Halloween week has presented the Tri-State area with its most perplexing storm of the season. Last year, a Halloween snowstorm which dropped heavy wet snow on top of trees who still had their leaves caused severe infrastructure issues and power outages all over the region. And this year, it was Hurricane Sandy. This was no joke in an area of the country not particularly used to storms of this magnitude and undeniably the most populous area of the country.
The damage and loss were truly unprecedented. And although we count our blessings because were are safe and relatively unharmed, we are just one degree of separation away from people who are either temporarily or permanently separated from their homes, their possessions, and their loved ones. Power will be out for days if not weeks. Schools are closed because it’s not safe to return or because power is out for indefinite periods of time. My wife, who is a reading specialist, has had six days off from school this season – this season being Fall – a full six weeks shy of winter’s start.
We lost power for just over a day, and really only half the power in our unit was affected. We were able to plug our refrigerator into a working outlet and so we lost nothing. We had no heat or no hot water, but again, just for a little over a day. My parents were without power for nearly a week, and my inlaws nearly the same. At this point, all that’s remaining to return is cable and internet service.
I am overwhelmed by the offers of support from friends and colleagues all over the nation who are seeing the damage on the news. I am extremely appreciate too, of the patience clients and suppliers alike have shown, as I work to get operating phones and internet capability. It will take a lot more than this to bring Hotel Lobbyists’ operation to a halt!