September 3, 2013
"We Will Never Split Up Again"
August, 2013 - Point Pleasant, NJ
(Picture: The kayak Carlos hauled up to his second floor and eventually used to paddle away from his flooded house.)
When Superstorm Sandy barreled down on the town of Point Pleasant you could say that Carlos and Maria Santos went their separate ways. Maria left, taking the kids to the temporary shelter setup at the nearby school. Carlos stayed, to keep an eye on things and to man the three pumps he set up under the house.
They were only about a mile apart, but when the flood waters started rising, it was like Maria and Carlos were separated by a huge ocean. First the power went out, then Maria’s phone service. The pumps Carlos was tending were overwhelmed and Carlos retreated to the second floor as water filled his house. Maria, back at the shelter, was nervous, the kids were crying, she couldn’t sleep. Carlos took a nap. When he woke up and couldn’t reach Maria by phone, he called the insurance company, just to get a jump on things.
(The water filled the Santos house with almost two feet of water.)
The next morning rescue crews deployed to search homes and Maria insisted they go to her house to look for Carlos. When they arrived, Carlos sent them away – he wasn’t ready to be rescued.
Eventually, when his work was done Carlos untied his kayak
from the second floor banister, launched it out his front door, and paddled his
way through the streets to the shelter where he was reunited with his family.
But needless to say, Carlos and Maria will never split up again.
We'll feature a video showing Carlos and Maria's story—and more like theirs—in the weeks to come, before the premiere of the new season of This Old House.
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(2) Comments
Comment on this BlogAs I truely feel for all the families impacted by Super Storm Sandy in the end their is some basic logic that needs to be understood. These areas are at around 8-11 foot elevation the storm surge was almost 12 feet........ ie you're going to flood. The best the homeowners can expect is to have flood insurance and be as prepared as possible. Risking life and limb for your home is not the smartest way to go. As property can be repaired and possessions replaced but lives are but a single owner proposal.
Watching the first episode of "The Jersey Shore Rebuilds" I was startled to see my former family house next door, just to the east of the Spano's. My parents built the house (virtually the only one on the block) in 1958 and lived there for five years, moving to Florida in 1962. I have wonderful memories of Bay Head Shores, crabbing in the lagoons and sailing in Barnegat Bay. I have been following the Sandy event & aftermath closely from afar and really appreciate what This Old House is doing to keep attention focused on the reconstruction efforts and how difficult the recovery will be.