Well..
We have weathered the storm literally. This storm was much worse than we all excepted. In the New Jersey/New York area we are used to a lot of false alarms so we often have a false sense of security when it comes to these things. Many people have lost their lives, cars, homes, children, and pets during this storm and although I have endured hardship as a result, i am grateful to be alive.
We were without power for almost six days and it was really tough taking care of basic needs. However, we made it work and were still thankful to at least had heat, which many did/do not at this time. We did think that our house would catch fire. We had a blown transformer and a downed wire right by our house. We lost our refrigerated food which was a lot and as an FYI to anyone who needs to apply for any assistance from FEMA just know that they take into account your income which I think is wrong because all of our ATMs are down and we cannot get any money out of the bank (although we didn't have any in the bank at the time anyway). We are just barely staying afloat as it is and this did create a huge financial hardship on us but the gov did not care. Despite the President saying that the red tape would be cut, my story was different. We were immediately told after applying that we were not eligible for help.
Some of this is purely speculation since I have no one to call and talk to about it or ask for help (the helpline keeps saying to call back due to call volume). Thank goodness we have a few cans of veggies/beans and rice left that may last us another two days. Our Governor has rationed the gas and we are required to go on specific days for gas according to our license plates. It doesn't matter much to us anyway because our tank is empty and the gas stations a few blocks away have been closed since the storm. We even called AAA but they cannot help because of the gas shortage. We have a few bucks left (literally a few) and hopefully that will give my husband enough gas to get to work on Monday (IF we can find a gas station here in town to get our tank filled). Luckily we have a family member that may be able to get him there if he is not able to get to a station (and wait in line 2.5 to 4 hours to get gas).
This is the first time that we have been through something like this and I wish I could say that I feel secure. However, we received nothing to help. There were two shelters or so here in town but getting to them is another story. Also, we figured that we were fine since we had heat the whole time and that space is better left serving families who were cold at night.
Hopefully we never have to go through anything like this again (or any other families especially those who were hardest-hit along the coast). If we do, we will prepare ten times as hard since obviously help is not an option for those who actually work but do not own a home (eligibility is likely based upon income and property damage such as a home).
I hope this post finds everyone well and safe. If you are in a disaster area, please remember to steer clear of downed lines, puddles (could have a downed line touching it) and visibly-weakened trees.
