SANDY...from a Rockaway Beach Bassplayer's Perspective

[dadagoboi]

From Simon Chardiet.  I shipped him a JAEbird last month and was concerned on how he came thru the storm.  Finally got a response this AM:

"..I stayed in rockaway to look after my guitars also I wanted to surf
in the hurricane,,my neighbors and I. we all almost died. I saved all my
guitars..about half my amps got wet. getting them restored. 90 mile an hur winds we saw the orange glow in the sky of Breezy Point burning down...had to go to top floor of neighbors house to escape the tidal wave, then at dawn the looting started,also the gang bangers  lots of shooting, they shot at the cops and national guard too. no
heat power or cell phones..finally my landlords buddy came with a generator and our neighbor Marty the Plumbers phone worked,called my girlfriend she got a convoy of every guitar player with a van in town and i got the #!$%&# out of there, rockaway completely destroyed. looks like Hiroshima, my daughter and her roomates live on the top or Rockways ONLY hill they were spared my cat was totally unperturbed by the
whole thing,she just wanted a cuddle!  still no power or phones out there  the city doesnt care.they just let us rot....the mayor actally made a speech against surfers..rockaway is  always the forgotten part of nyci but I love the place. I LOVED living there. got no complaints im the luckest#@!% in rockaway because all my guitars made it. thanks for writing me!!!im staying in the recording  studio in Brooklyn till my landlord rebuilds the house.

[Dave W]

That's a sobering report. Glad he's okay. Not surprised about the gang bangers and looting, they sure have kept that off the news.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast, we've seen a lot more destruction from hurricanes than people in New York. There are always some who will try to ride it out right by the shore, but most of us know better.

The folks in Rockaway Beach sure have had a rough century so far.

[Hörnisse]

Glad he was safe.  Yeah, those barrier islands take a beating.  No way would I ever ride out a storm on one of them.  The ocean doesn't care.

[godofthunder]

 Glad to hear Simon is ok. Sounds horrific.

[Pilgrim]

Glad Simon is OK...trying to surf in those conditions tells me that he's more than a little cracked.  Staying on a barrier island was a really bad move.

[Lightyear]

When they tell you get out - get the F#@K out!  As the crow flies I'm 20 miles north of Galveston we're the 2nd group to go in mandatory evacuation - you stay - you die - do not call for help during the storm.  I feel for those suffering the aftermath.  Google Ike and Bolivar Penisula - you will understand what a storm surge can do.  Folks called during the storm from the attics of two story beach homes sitting on 16' pilings wanting rescue - the water was coming in.  The CG instructed those that refused to evacuate to write their SS # on their forearms for ID.

[Nocturnal]

Glad he is safe. Sounds like that was a scary situation.

[Pilgrim]

Folks called during the storm from the attics of two story beach homes sitting on 16' pilings wanting rescue - the water was coming in.  The CG instructed those that refused to evacuate to write their SS # on their forearms for ID.

Now THERE'S a shot of reality!!  As you say, when they tell you to get out, do it.

[jumbodbassman]

Rockaway beach.  brings a smile to my face.   many a day spent there a long time ago.   most of those bungalos  are (were?) not very weather worthy considering were they are located.   

[Lightyear]

Now THERE'S a shot of reality!!  As you say, when they tell you to get out, do it.

Yeah, they found one victim from Boliver several weeks later 25 miles into the upper reaches of the bay.  She was in the mandatory evac area.