The great leveller
Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath shows that in times of disaster, we are all one and the same
- Published: 7 Nov 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
It was a dark and stormy night. The surf was up, the wind howled, the lights flickered and the windowpanes buckled a bit, but it felt reassuring to be in a cosy apartment with the modern world at one's fingertips, constant updates available by phone, internet and TV.
A US flag hangs on the side of a condemned beachside house as residents continue to clean up after Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.
I was back in my hometown on Long Island for a high school reunion on Oct 27. Just hours after the farewell brunch, onward travel became impossible and I ended up getting a front-row seat as the Atlantic Ocean released a once-in-a-century fury. Superstorm Sandy hit hard, as expected, but the collapse of infrastructure still came as a surprise. Witnessing the storm from an ocean-facing apartment in Long Beach, New York, was fun at first, like an added bonus to a nostalgic reunion. It was special to stand with childhood friends, watching impossibly huge, windswept waves break on a beach full of summery memories.
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