Some Huntington residents gassed up their cars, bought food that didn't require cooking and prepared their homes days before Hurricane Sandy struck. Others were in stores Oct. 29, just a few hours before the storm arrived, trying to buy generators, candles or milk and bread.
Long Islanders' misery was compounded by the chilly temperatures and the arrival of a nor'easter that hit the area with more heavy winds and snow 10 days later.
Residents' ability to cope seemed uneven as the outages continued. Some were able to turn to natural gas heat while others depended on generators or turned to friends for shelter. Others remained in their homes and neighborhoods, waiting for utility crews to arrive and turn the power back on.
Emergency management experts say people should stock enough food and water for three to seven days. But many people were without power in Huntington far longer than that.
Are people prepared when the weather turns cold? Or outages that last longer than expected and patience with eating canned tuna runs out?
What would you do differently? And are you ready for a similar emergency this winter?
