We’re right on the border of Sunset Park, one of the neighborhoods here in Brooklyn hit hardest by the storms. I was woken up at 6am or so by lightning & thunder that seemed to be in our bedroom with us; I sleep next to the window with the air conditioner, & half asleep, turned the AC off & pulled the curtain closed. When one loud crack of lightning seemed to go off right next to our bed, poor Endymion dashed out, wide-eyed with fur bristling, from under my night table where he often sleeps. Aeneas sat at the foot of our bed. & Aurora, being Aurora, was sitting in the living room window watching the show.
Our own beautiful trees are stripped of some leaves but otherwise standing; there are a few hundred trees down otherwise, some into buildings & cars, & one woman on Staten Island lost her life. The flooding caused commutes to double in time this morning, with all three subway lines down. They say a tornado funnel touched down in Bay Ridge, even.
The Mayor was just on TV telling everyone that they should call 311 for information about having buildings inspected for safety & the like, & someone asked a question about immigration status & languages. & After clarifying that the City will not ask for someone’s immigration status when finding them a shelter if their home has been destroyed/deemed unstable, he then mentioned there are 150 languages spoken by the operators at 311.
150. Love this town.