We are still here too, despite flooding in town along the river (the Hudson is tidal here, like a fjord), and lots of really big trees down - at least six on my street - but none on my house, nor was anyone on our street hurt, thankfully. No power, of course. I have a marine battery and inverter that I got for the sump pumps, just in case, but it is now powering my laptop and I'm using my phone as a modem.
My wife's step-aunt and uncle tried to ride out the storm at the Jersey shore (they have lived "on the beach" all their lives. They and other natives are a breed apart when it comes to following evacuation orders. I would leave, but that's me). They managed to keep the house in which they were staying (a friend's place that had a second story) from burning when the neighboring houses went up. There own place, which was built by their father back in the 1940's, survived remarkable intact, despite being located on the beach. The house next to them, which is (or was) actually beach-front was totally destroyed, but the wreckage created a dike that diverted the waves on either side of their place. They lost both cars, and their deck and some sheds, but their modest little post war beach bungalow survived with only a little water damage.
Hopefully we'll have power back in the next week or so.
Best,
Chris
http://www.saracenihouse.com
