We’ve decided to put out a Superstorm Sandy Special Edition of our Historical Society of Highlands newsletter. It feels important to record what happened while the experiences and observations are still fresh or even raw. It is also important to keep our members and friends linked together for support and to let those especially hard hit by the storm know we are all standing together with them. It is also important to pick ourselves up the best we can and re-establish normal activities and life to begin the healing process for the town and our members, neighbors and friends.
Superstorm Sandy, called that because it was made up of both a Hurricane and a Nor’easter together that hit New Jersey and coastal New York during the full moon high tides, made landfall on the Jersey coast on the night of Monday, October 29 and early morning of Tuesday October 30, 2012. I am basing what is written here on my own personal experience and the conversations I had with people in Highlands for six days after the storm. I came back to Highlands on Thursday November 1 and stayed until November 7 when I had to leave to return to Ohio as another Nor’easter approached with wind, snow, cold and the threat of more flooding.
As a disclaimer, I am writing about what I saw. I’m sure I only am able to include a small part of the storm’s impact on Highlands because I didn’t see more. I apologize in advance for those things that I missed or forgot or if I misinterpreted any of the things I saw or heard. As time goes on, I hope people will add their experiences and we can write a broader, more complete view of what occurred.
This letter will be written as a series of glimpses of what happened so here goes…
The worst damage to Highlands and the surrounding towns on the Shore was caused by the surge of salt water that swept in from the ocean and Bay, surged over Sandy Hook, and flooded the lower portion of town. Heavy wind and rain also hit us but most of the wreckage looked like it was caused by the flood that hit with the High tides on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Most people had followed the mandatory evacuation order but not all. I heard that nearly a hundred people in Highlands had to be rescued from the floodwaters by our Police, Fire Department, and First Aid Squad. Heroic neighbors also saved those trapped in flooded homes and cars and took them to higher ground. As in numerous other storms in years past, our first responders and ordinary townspeople risked their lives to bring people to safety.
The water was deep. It was six to ten feet deep in different parts of town depending on its elevation. Bay Avenue unfortunately is among the lowest points so water there was the deepest. Nearly every home and business in the lower part of Highlands was flooded. The areas around Fifth Street, Paradise Point trailer park, Honeysuckle Lodge, and Water Witch were among the hardest hit. The water carried debris, boats, pilings and parts of docks, trees washed from Sandy Hook, all sorts of things washed away from people’s yards and homes, and lots and lots of mud, silt, and sand. When the water subsided, we all had to sweep out layers of mud, fine sand and seaweed from our homes. Needless to say, when this water came into a building it ruined the walls, furniture, appliances, and other belongings that have been accumulated during our lives.
I know that Historical Society of Highlands members Russ Card, Mae Rugg, Jackie White, Camille Cefalo, Carla and Ken Braswell, John Schneider, Luke Jenks, and my family had great damage and lost nearly everything—some more and some less. Many will not be able to return home until major repairs are made. I’m sure other members also lost everything but I just don’t know of their situations yet.
Of course, the public buildings and businesses that also make up the fabric of our town were also hard hit. The Borough Hall, First Aid Squad, Community Center where we have our meetings, the Post Office, Library all were badly damaged and closed. The new Fire House was OK and provided the emergency headquarters for Highlands first responders and government along with state and federal counterparts. Especially in the beginning, it was a scene of constant activity responding to emergency needs of our town and it truly inspired confidence that we were going to make it through this disaster. Our neighbors who are in these departments, most of whom are volunteers, were terrific. Fire and first aid runs were made, police patrols kept us safe, supplies were coordinated with the outside world, and help was provided. Volunteers prepared warm food for the first responders as they worked around the clock for days straight to help us. It was very professional and impressive and importantly, their service was at a personal level. This was not some far off bureaucracy but neighbors helping neighbors. Thank you so much.
Our mayor and Council, our Police Chief, and Borough Administrator were very visible every day all over town- at the shelter, the firehouse emergency headquarters, in the streets and neighborhoods. They made things work and arranged for help to get us on our feet again.
Our churches were hard hit. Those downtown were in the flood and OLPH served as a focal point for collecting and distributing donated supplies to those in need. Our clergy from all churches were very visible and helped console and support all in need.
Highlands Elementary School and Henry Hudson High School classes were closed and FEMA set up its office to provide assistance at the elementary school. The High School was turned into the main emergency shelter for Highlands. It was run by the Red Cross and staffed by knowledgeable, caring people flown in from all over the country. First of all it had lights, heat and hot water. The gym became a dormitory with clean warm cots and bedding for all who stayed there. The cafeteria served hot meals prepared by Red Cross and chefs and staff from Highlands restaurants temporarily out of business due to the storm. They were a huge improvement over the MRE’s (like combat rations) available in the first couple days. Supervised areas set up for children to color, draw, read and play games. Medical staff helped those who needed attention. Dry clothes were provided to people who had lost their clothing in flooded homes.
The Red Cross people were wonderful. They knew what to do and efficiently did whatever was needed. They were always upbeat and helped those coming to the shelter feel like some basic things would be normal again despite the damage downtown. I met Red Cross volunteers from Michigan, Missouri, St.Louis, Kansas, California and all over who came not knowing anything about Highlands but eager to help us. I spoke at one of their morning staff meetings to thank them and to explain briefly about Highlands- where it was vs the ocean and New York City, our history, and what it had been like before the storm. I gave them some town maps from this summer’s Clam Fest and some of our Historical Society membership forms with historical facts about Highlands. They liked them and they posted them up in their shelter office. Finally, I showed them how to walk from the High School across the ball field to Twin Lights where they could see our town, the ocean, NY City and, of course, Twin Lights. Later they told me the view was spectacular and lifted their spirits as well. Thank you to each of them for your help. What a wonderful country we are blessed to live in and with such good people.
You couldn’t enter town during the six days I was there unless you were a resident, relief worker, or hired contractor. Most of the time you could only enter town at a police checkpoint at the foot of the bridge by Bahrs. Police checked your papers. If you didn’t have a drivers license with a Highlands address or utility bills to prove you owned property there, you probably didn’t get in. A curfew kept people off the streets from 6 PM to 6 AM. There was no electricity in town until some parts got power on Sunday night. It was cold, windy, empty and dark at night. The lights of New York City , the stars and moon, a few generators and police cars provided the only light outside. If you stayed in your home in town as I did, it was a bit scary. Our police were great. They recognized the few cars that were there overnight and they patrolled by frequently, stopping to shine their spotlights and ask if you were OK. I only heard of one looter in town who was arrested across the street from me when he was taking things from a home with the owners still there! On top of that he had his ten year old son with him! Police arrested him and said he was from a neighboring town.
The most amazing part to me was how everyone pulled together. Neighbors who may not have known each other well suddenly were like a tight knit family. On Seadrift Avenue and Marine Place, residents helped each other clear their homes, and make emergency repairs, cooked food on propane grills for the neighbors, offered supplies, news and consolation. We shared advice, helped each other move things too heavy for one person, shared tools, exchanged email addresses, and helped each other through our constant emotional ups and downs. We know this experience has melded us into a tighter neighborhood than we were before.
Neighbors around our house found and saved eight of the twelve heavy wooden porch shutters that had protected our house before they were washed away. They are now stacked inside until we rebuild the front porch. Friends who had great damage to their own homes came by and helped make repairs to secure homes. I can’t say how much these acts of kindness are appreciated.
Since there was no electricity, everyone made full use of every hour of daylight to clear out and save as much as they could. This didn’t leave time to get food from the Red Cross shelter so wonderful people from less damaged areas inland drove by or set up their cars on corners to offer hot coffee or chocolate, sandwiches, and later, hot food. They brought trash bags, gloves, bleach for washing off the seawater soaked walls, batteries, and other supplies that were so important in the first days after the storm hit. All those I spoke to were simply families or church groups who acted to help neighbors in need. One had driven out from Columbus, Ohio to find a local church she could assist in delivering food and supplies. Another came by with big pots of meatballs and sauce in the back of her SUV and was handing out meatball subs to people struggling to salvage their homes and belongings. These people always had encouraging words for us. They were angels who helped get us through the worst first days.
Other groups gathered grills and tables along Bay Avenue from the Borough Hall to the Methodist Church and created a giant free block party to feed struggling residents and workers. It was amazing to see. It was also an important place to gather to find neighbors from other parts of Highlands that you hadn’t been able to contact since the storm hit. Cell phone service worked but getting the phones recharged was one of the most important daily tasks. You always needed to keep enough charge to make a 911 call if you needed to.
Clearing out the flooded houses and businesses was so depressing. Everything that had been soaked was piled up along the sidewalks to be taken away by the crews with frontloaders and dump trucks. The piles were so high in front of every house along the streets that it looked like snowbanks after a blizzard except that the piles were furniture, clothes, appliances, books, rugs, bedding, kitchen stuff and all the contents accumulated in homes over the years. It took four days to get all the ruined stuff out and thrown away. You just had to keep going without thinking about it too much, clearing one room at a time. Sometimes you were elated to find a picture or one of you kid’s toys or your Mom’s favorite pan that you could salvage. Mostly though it was hauling soggy stuff out to the pile on the street. The crews worked continuously from 7AM until dark loading the piles into dump trucks and hauling it away. Seeing the pile of your ruined stuff in front of your house was sad and it felt better when the cleanup crews had loaded on the trucks and took it away. It was better not to think about it too much.
It was cold and windy but sunny with some nice warm afternoons to revive you during the week after the storm. Good drying weather as my Dad used to say. Wednesday morning a Nor’easter hit bringing cold and snow but thankfully no more flooding from the river.
Election Day came a week after the storm hit. I didn’t notice it much at the time with all the cleanup work but our town and nation’s citizens exercised our freedom to select those who will lead us for the next several years. God bless them as they make big and small decisions to benefit us all and particularly to help us as we recover from Superstorm Sandy. Election officials and citizens made big sacrifices to set up and deal with emergency voting facilities with long lines in less than ideal conditions. Thank all of you.
Beside no electricity, a big concern was no gasoline. I think it was in the gas station tanks but with no power, they couldn’t pump it into cars. Lines at the WaWa store on Route 36 were over a mile long on Friday. After Governor Christie set up mandatory odd/even program for filling cars, things seemed to improve pretty quickly. By Monday night there were no lines and there was plenty of gasoline. Prices stayed about where they were before the storm…$3.45 a gallon.
The Highlands bridge was closed and guarded by soldiers in Humvees until after I left on November 7, it may be open by now. Sea Bright was nearly destroyed and we heard the town was covered by four feet of sand so they need to keep people out of the way as rescue and recovery work goes on. I didn’t hear any specifics about Sandy Hook except that it was badly damaged. I heard the 1762 Lighthouse is OK. Importantly the Coast Guard base on Sandy Hook was heavily destroyed. I spoke to a Coastguardsman stationed there who said the docks, maintenance facilities, storage and equipment buildings and the personnel living quarters were wrecked. He said it could be a year before it is back to full operation. The Coast Guard boats were away from the docks for safety and are OK. Probably another reason to close the bridge to keep people away from this Homeland Security facility until repairs are made.
Many people have asked how they can help members in Highlands who were hurt by the storm. Past President Judith Patterson has agreed help coordinate linking our member’s needs to any support and help offered by our members and friends. She may need help getting this done. Contact her at 732-291-9249 or navratil2@aol.com if you can offer help to our members who suffered severe damages in the storm.
The HSH Executive Board has decided to postpone Society activities until things are more settled in Highlands, probably several months. Since we regularly suspend activities for January and February, this specifically means that the November meeting is cancelled. The annual HSH Holiday Party usually held at Bahr’s in December will be postponed. We are thinking of holding a dinner with a less elaborate program possibly in March at Bahr’s if they can handle our size group then. We will let you know. Lynda and I will try to get out newsletters to keep our members and friends in touch and informed about news from Highlands. Please email or call me with news to include in future newsletters.
There are a number of links to websites that have pictures and videos of the storm in Highlands. Please let me know if you are aware of others so we can share them with our members and friends.
One piece of great news is that member Camille Cefalo has completed her surgery and is recovering well. She is speaking again and her outlook is great. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Camille and her family for a continued full and speedy recovery.
Please also send me any pictures , video or news of your storm and recovery experiences so we can share them with members and add them to the Society archives. Email them to me at guentherwb@aol.com or mail them to Walt Guenther 1195 Brittany Lane Upper Arlington Ohio 43220.
I’m sorry that this is all I can think to include right now. I know I probably have forgotten to include many of the acts of kindness shown to me and our fellow Highlanders and some of the information and experiences from the first few days after the storm hit. Still a little shell shocked from it all and that’s all I can think of to write right now.
Thankfully no one in Highlands was killed by the storm. I try to believe that things we lost were mostly stuff, and that we can get more stuff. The most important treasures were have are our family, neighbors and friends and especially our relationships with them. I believe these ties will be the key to our rebuilding of the lives and fabric of our town and that ultimately we will all be a stronger community for it.
Thanks so much to all who helped keep us safe and to recover from Sandy.
Stay well and take care of each other. Keep each of those affected by the Storm in your thoughts and prayers.
All the best,
Walt Guenther
Historical Society of Highlands
