I got up at 3:45AM to get gas on LI...

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. Many people do not realize how bad AFTER the storm can be.

Over the years I have noticed that a lot of people don't even think about an impending storm/hurricane,
and practice a form of mass denial: "It won't be as bad as_________ " .
They have dozens of reasons why they do not have to evacuate, and then can't believe that 911 can't rescue them in the middle of a hurricane.
Other people DO prepare, for the actual storm, but not for after the storm, when storm damage means you cannot even get out of your home or from one block to another because of downed trees, wires, tons of debris, damaged cars, etc.
No power means no gas.
Impassable roads means gas and food cannot come to where you can get them.
Thousands of people trying to gas up at once means gas stations run out of fuel, either before a storm or after it when stations can be opened.
And in a storm the size of Sany, refinerys get damaged.

The truth is, for the first 2-4 days after a bad storm, you are pretty much on your own.
I have been in a few big bad ones, once no power for 2 weeks, in snowy winter, once no power for 3 weeks when Ivan hit my town.
Takes days for "normal" life to slowly resume. Takes a lot of pre-planning to get thru those days.