I was in a cafe in Manhattan when the three-minute storm of insanity hit New York City today. The sky kept changing colors, casting that distinct cast of contrast that comes with any good storm. The lightning was bright and flickering. The thunder was a succession of loud cracks that rang in my eardrums. The click, click, click of hail hitting cars could be heard through the quickly closed windows of the cafe. The rain poured hard, straight down and then suddenly sideways. Sure, the storm was intense but it was so brief. I didn't hear about the damage--nor did I expect the extent of it-- until my roommate called to inform me that a tree had fallen on her car in Brooklyn. A huge tree crushed a car on our block as well.
As Michelle and I walked around our neighborhood in Park Slope we met a man whose car windshield was smashed by a tree while he was in it. The tree had been removed from his vehicle by this time (10 p.m. or so) and he was just returning from the hospital to retrieve personal items. He was driving when the tree fell and it struck his temple. We asked him about what happened and listened to his story as people gathered around us to hear his side of the storm. On a normal day, no one would be speaking to one another but tonight, with all the destruction everywhere, folks can't help but reach out to the people around them.
In these photos you'll first see the car crushed on our block. Eyewitness News, Channel 7 was reporting this incident as I took photos. Then you'll see photos of my roommate next to her car that is surrounded by branches and trees just waiting for the sweet relief that would be breaking through her windshield and windows. Let's hope her car can be removed from this mess safely and with little more damage.
So instead of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"....
Posted by: Amanda | 09/17/2010 at 11:40 AM