A toppled tree in Astoria-Ditmars the day after Hurricane Sandy came through NYC
The NY Daily News reports on the high number of trees that fell in Queens during both Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter that followed right behind it – Queens has the most downed trees of any of the boroughs as a result of these storms. Records show that “About half of the 20,000-plus calls to the city’s 311 line for downed trees and branches as well as hanging limbs came from Queens after the super-storm. And roughly 2,000 of the 3,000 requests received after the nor’easter were also traced to Queens.” Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said that the number of downed trees – oaks, maples, London planes, and more - is “the worst I have ever seen.”
So last night and into today is the nor’easter we’ve been hearing so much about. How has it affected you? Are you seeing snow? We were warned of possible downed power lines again – here’s hoping everything is up and running. Let us know about the storm’s impact on you here in the comments or via twitter at @queensnycity.
Many people were out to vote today – we heard about lines of enthusiastic citizens looking to exercise their constitutional rights. Governor Cuomo came through with this announcement, which is particularly helpful to those in the Rockaways:
Governor Cuomo just signed an executive order allowing registered voters in New York who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote at any polling station by signing an affidavit. “We want everyone to vote & we want to make it as easy as possible,” the governor tweeted from his account.
The governor cautions that while displaced voters can cast a ballot at any precinct in the races for President and US Senate, ballots for local races must be cast at your designated polling place. 60 of them have been relocated due to Hurricane Sandy, and you can find that list here.”
We asked if you were able to vote today and how it went at the polls, and we got some great responses that were overwhelmingly positive.
A Nor’Easter is on its way – troubling news for already damaged coastal communities
We are preparing for another storm to come our way, this time it’s a classic Nor’Easter. It may bring just rain, or it might bring sleet and/or snow. The weather people seem to change their forecast regularly. We are concerned for folks in places like the Rockaways, Staten Island, and the Jersey shore, who really suffered during Hurricane Sandy. Even a 2-4 foot surge could cause real problems for them and their communities. Let’s hope, as Gov. Christie says, that the storm turns to the right when it gets to us.
Broad Channel subway station is in bad shape
Hurricane Sandy also did a real number on the Broad Channel subway stop. This is the A station where people transfer to the shuttle to get to the Rockaway peninsula. This means getting there by train is impossible. So what happened exactly? From MTA Chief Joe Lhota:
“The amount of destruction on the A-train over Broad Channel is indescribable. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen pictures of it, the amount of damage, this was almost a direct hit. It’s over water, it’s through marshland, it’s going to take quite a long time to rebuild this, and I’m talking about rebuilding this. I’m talking about the water that went underneath and really affected the structural integrity. This part of the world, what happened in the Rockaways was really devastating.”
Hot mint tea at Harissa in Astoria hits the spot
Over on QueensLove, one of the contributors posted about the hot mint tea at Harissa, a wonderful North African restaurant on 30th Ave in Astoria. The tea comes in your own pot, so you can pour it at your own pace. It really is lovely (be sure to get it sweetened), and it goes great with pretty much everything on the menu.
As the people in NJ, Staten Island, and the Rockaways – the hardest hit during Hurricane Sandy – clean up from the mega storm, the bad news keeps knocking at their now destroyed door – a Nor’Easter is coming. (more…)
