Hurricane Sandy Survivors: Dylan Potts, Hoboken, NJ

Dylan Potts from Hoboken, NJ:

How did you prepare for Hurricane Sandy?
I bought food and water, some canned soups, crackers, cookies, and non-perishable items.

What were your immediate concerns?
I’m on the 4th floor (top floor) of my apartment building so I was worried about wind damage rather than flooding. I was also concerned about public transportation and how I would be able to get back and forth to work.

What did you witness, firsthand, that indicated the severity of the storm?
I spent Monday night having a hurricane party at a friends’ house on the edge of the flood zone. Unfortunately, this meant that to get back to my apartment I had to trudge through waist high flood water containing gasoline, oil and garbage. Along the way my friend and I saw power lines down, building sirens going off, and people hanging out on their stoops. Then we saw the tree down right outside of my apartment building.

How were you affected specifically? Power outage, flooding, damage, etc?
Luckily we only lost power and our apartment had no damage. We were also one of the first areas in town to regain power. The only real annoyance was that I had to couch surf around the city so I could go to work.

Did anyone seek your help. Did you seek anyone else’s? Neighbors, family, friends, etc?
Everyone in my building was stranded so all of us just hung out all day and got to know each other a little better. We were all decently prepared for the first day so none of us needed help from one another.

What precautions will you take in the future should there ever be another storm that matches Sandy’s force?
If I’m living in the same building next year and another Sandy comes along I would buy more water, wine, beer, batteries, a manual wind charger for my phone. And definitely a kayak.

Dylan provided us with photographs taken before, during, and after the storm that shocked the Northeast Coast.

Picture #1: Tuesday AM, October 30^th outside the Archstone Building in Downtown Hoboken

Pictures #2 & #3: Tuesday AM, October 30^th outside the Archstone Building. Dylan slept there on Monday night and was forced to wade through high waist waters mixed with gasoline and oil in order to make it back to his apartment.

Picture #4: View from Dylan’s apartment

Picture #5: View from the roof of his building

Picture #6: Fireman taking a hoe back to Dylan’s neighbor’s apartment to bring a baby with a fever to the hospital

Be sure to check Forever Twenty Somethings all week for new Sandy Survivor Stories. And of course – please show your support and donate to the Red Cross. As you can see, people really need it!