Emma Lieber may have been cold, but she considers herself lucky.
Lieber was one of millions on the East Coast that felt the impact of Hurricane Sandy when the storm ripped up the Atlantic earlier this month.
Lieber, 20, is a 2010 Goodrich High School student who is studying educational theatre at New York University. She lives in the East Village, Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan along the banks of the East River.
‘The cars on the street were floating,? she said. ‘As the East River rose, cars were sliding down the street. I live in an apartment with two roommates. On Sunday, the day before the storm, they turned off the hot water heat and the electricity to our apartment. When Sandy hit we were safe, our building is made of brick and it was not going anywhere.?
‘But it was cold and we had to eat all the food in our refrigerator before it spoiled,? she said. ‘We did not realize how bad it was until we went outside. Many of the New York University students went to the university center to get warm and have something to eat. The actor Alec Baldwin showed up to visit with everyone there. It was pretty cool.?
Lieber said stores were running out of food.
‘We lived on oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, almond milk and crackers. Lots of Halloween candy, too. Still, we were very lucky compared to other New Yorkers, we had a place to stay. Many of the students, including myself, went and volunteered their time to help others. The devastation is just unreal. On Saturday we are going to work on the Staten Island relief project’that place is wiped out.?
On Monday Lieber, who works with elementary students during the afternoon, said the New York subways were still shut down’a week after the storm.
‘I had to take buses to work rather than the subway,? she said. ‘The strange thing was rats from the subway were washed out during the flooding. It’s pretty disgusting, but something good came out of the storm? dead rats.?
Lieber, an Atlas Township resident, voted with an absentee ballot prior to Tuesday’s election.
‘Many were having trouble getting to the polls on election day,? she said. ‘There was no power and it was very frustrating for a lot of voters that day.?
According to news reports, a new storm, a nor’easter, hit on Wednesday with high winds, snow, freezing rain and sleet. But the storm is not in the same class as Sandy, which brought historic levels of damage to the New York City area, New Jersey, and other parts of the Northeast.
‘It’s hitting as we speak, it’s not as bad as the hurricane,? she said.
‘There are lots of homes without power still; however, many people are helping. These people come together.?