From Long Island, NY – Documenting Hurricane Sandy by Amy Medina
While we lost some shingles from our roof and saw our chimney suffer a bit of damage, for the most part we are just fine. So many people got hit so much worse than us, with severe flooding to our south and many more trees down to the north. The trains have only started to come back into service, keeping my husband home from work and my daughter’s college is being used as a shelter, so no school for her either. Unlike some of the major catastrophes such as Breezy Point, NY, we are very lucky.
I’ve been out and about with my family seeing the toll the storm took around the Suffolk County area, and taking photos with my Fuji XE1 and iPhone. I thought I’d share them. The video is above, which is mostly a slideshow of the iPhone snapshots, just to record damage. I know they aren’t quite as exciting as the ones from New York City, but none-the-less, I thought I’d share them.
From Steve: Stay safe Amy, my prayers are with you and everyone who has been affected by this storm.
Photos are nice but this looks like a normal breezy day in cornwall.
Great composition! Your pics really gives us a sense of devastation Sandy brought to the east coast.Hoping everything is back to normal soon for everyone. God bless!
Excellent colours from the Fuji.
Is “documenting” the same as taking photos of a scene or event? It certainly sounds far more important, even official.
Great shots. Very moody.
I like your signature in post processing.
Thanks!
The image of the park benches underwater is haunting. Reminds me of the movie “Day After Tomorrow”. Thanks for sharing.
wonderful reportage definitely sad for the misery it has brought.
stay safe.
Thanks for the powerful photos. We experience storms and floodings several times a year in various parts of my country (Philippines), and I understand the sunken feeling brought about by each one.
Brilliant!
Wow thanks for sharing Amy. Glad that you and your family are okay.
the photos are beautiful, even though of a bad situation. I had just visited the tri-state area this (your) summer and it is saddening to see what has happened, The streets we enjoyed photographing are still in the dark or flooded. Best wishes from far away Tasmania, and please keep posting.
It is good to see you make it through the storm! Thanks for sharing.
nice set
You certainly have a district style Amy. These remind of your recent review. And it’s a very nice style at that. You’ve conveyed the mood in a nice way which is ironic given the event!
Sorry was meant to say “distinct”! Aghh predictive text!
I am glad that here in the UK we do not suffer from these natural disasters, on such a massive scale, as you seem to in the USA.
It is very sad to see the destruction and to hear about the loss of life on the East Coast, and hope that life returns to normal as soon as possible.
Thanks for the photographs and video, Amy, and glad to hear that you escaped the worst that Hurricane Sandy delivered. Stay safe.
Andrew,
As an island nation the UK will have to start considering disaster preparedness as global climate change advances and rising seas couple with more volatile storms to endanger coastal areas. Thus far the UK has been lucky, but let’s say luck favors the prepared. Best wishes to you and all our friends across the pond.
Living in the Netherlands below sealevel, I know the threatening feeling of water. Luckely I never underwent it! Please be carefull! Stay safe! Is your daughter ok in NY?
Gorgeous photographs Amy! I love how no matter what it is always that signature look in your photos. If Steve said these were posted by somebody else I would call fraud on that cause that look is always present there. Those dark gray/blue tones to your photos set the mood beautiful man vs nature and nature is winning however we are not giving up! Stay safe, dry and hopefully everything turns out okay for everybody on the East Coast. Cheers from Pacific NorthWest!
I lived in the NE (NYC and Philadelphia) back in the 90’s and there always seemed to be some disaster happening or looming around the corner. Glad I missed the last few biggies.
BTW, powerful images.
Beautiful images, of a not so beautiful moment! Stay safe and please keep on shooting & sharing!
Cheers, Jeroen
Gorgeous photos! I live in northern Manhattan so I was somewhat buffered by the south. We did not lose electricity and we were not flooded. A couple of days ago I went through a walk in the park across the street from where I live. Crazy, I know, I did not bring my camera since I wasn’t expected to find anything. There were downed trees everywhere! I took photos with my iPhone and thought about sending photos into Steve Huff but how many more pictures of downed trees do we really need to see? No matter how artful, photos of downed trees seem like a cliche at this point.
Ahh, heck, maybe I should go with my X100 and try… Yosimite was cliche too until Ansel Adams got ahold of it.
Beautiful images, Amy. I am glad that you are safe and sound, and look forward to much more documentation. I’ve been following you on FB. Sounds chaotic out there…Some of the flooding was startling!
The siuation they are linked does not make these images beautful.
The imges are poignant.
Remember that classic line from Do they know its christmas 1985 for Ethiopean famine ” tonight we thank god its them instead of you”
Get a grip people for goodness sakes.
…
Amy you always rawk. Stay safe & thanks for sharing these poignant images.
Beautiful is relevant, though I get your point. IMO, “Beautiful” does not necessitate that the captured moment is a positive, warm one. I fully understand that the “Sandy” event has been terrible for most whom have experienced it first hand. I would suggest that you take care in your response, as your response is out of proportion to my reply to Amy. I mean’t no offense, and the images still stand well on their own, context or no context.
Well said.
Commonly accepted definition of beauty:
1. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).
2. a beautiful person, especially a woman.
3. a beautiful thing, as a work of art or a building.
4. Often, beauties. something that is beautiful in nature or in some natural or artificial environment.
5. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm: a vivid blue area that is the one real beauty of the painting.
I would say by the first definition they are beautiful. Yes, they are derived from a tragic event, but the images Amy produced are relevant, poignant, and beautiful.
Jay