Superstorm Sandy

As "superstorm" Sandy hit the Eastern United States Monday evening, Pat Kiernan, '90 BCom, was busy posting updates on social media. But for those desperate for news and updates, Kiernan's posts were a lifeline, offering updates on power outages, the storm surge and how to still get the news if your HD TV feed had gone dark.

"Thank you, thank you New York 1! You were informative, dogged, comforting and realistic throughout the storm," wrote one viewer on Kiernan's public Facebook page.

"Have a good rest Pat! You did a great job throughout the Storm!" wrote another.

Kiernan is somewhat of a legend in New York where he has developed what the New York Times called a "cultish fan base" as morning news anchor at local television station NY1. "Mr. Kiernan has embedded himself into New Yorkers' precoffee routines, his mellow Canadian demeanor perfectly pitched to the soothing banality of the morning traffic reports," said the Times in an article earlier this year.

That "Canadian demeanor" served Kiernan and his fan base well as Sandy barreled into the East Coast Monday night.

"Pat was interviewing everyone of importance and digesting what they said to tell us the truth," said Reg Moncrieff, '70 BA, who rode out the storm in his home on 84th Street in Manhattan. "Pat used every means possible-TV, Twitter, cell phone video, Facebook-to keep us all up to the minute with vital, accurate information. … If you only had one way of connecting to the outside world, Pat Kiernan was there with you."

That's just part of his responsibility as a journalist, said Kiernan.

"We're in the position at NY1 of having access to people in power. We have a duty to pass information on to them," he said Thursday afternoon, grabbing a few minutes during a cab ride to talk, despite his cell phone service cutting in and out. "It's so multifaceted. One person wants to know why the trains aren't running while someone else is wondering whether the Red Cross can help them out. It's our duty to try and build a bridge to that information."

Pat Keirnan with his "clean-up crew" in Williamsburg after the storm. (Photo: Pat Keirnan)

More than 600,000 people in New York's five boroughs and Westchester County remained without power as of Thursday afternoon. By that time the death toll in New York City had reached 38, and the total number of people killed in storm-related incidents was being reported as high as 72.

"We have nearly 450 University of Alberta alumni in the greater New York area, with 100 of those living around New Jersey where the storm came ashore with nearly 130-kilometre-per-hour winds," says Sean Price, '95 BCom, associate vice-president of Alumni Relations. "All of us are watching the news reports with concern for our friends and former classmates in the areas hit by this unprecedented storm. The Alumni Association has been in contact with several New York-based organizations looking for a way we can contribute to the clean-up efforts. Anyone looking to find immediate volunteer opportunities can find links on our website."

And farther north in Sandy's path, more than 6,000 U of A alumni in the Greater Toronto Area are witnessing downed limbs and power outages from the storm. But the Sandy that hit Toronto was a much more muted storm, says Susan Wagner, '79 BSc(Speech/Aud).

"The biggest thing was the trees going down. They're huge hardwood trees-much larger than you see in Alberta. Our power lines are above ground and when the trees go down the power is affected."

Wagner, who lives in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, says she came through the storm safely, though the wind and rain Monday night were certainly stronger than your average autumn storm. The Sandy-driven rains were expected to last through Saturday, she said.

"People are doing fine. It did affect some people but … people worked Monday, the GO trains still ran," she said. "It's much worse in New York." Toronto councillors even voted Wednesday to lend a hand to storm-battered New York City, according to the Globe and Mail.

Power struggle

Power is also the major issue for those living in the New York City area.

Moncrieff, who has a dental practice in the city and teaches at Mount Sinai Hospital, considers himself one of the fortunate. His power stayed on and he still had hot water as of Thursday afternoon. And though his daughter was down around 14th Street when the storm struck-just a block away from that well-publicized image of the building whose façade was peeled away by the wind and rain-she made it home safely.

And though many of the other staff at Mount Sinai were having to carpool into the city and battle massive traffic jams, Moncrieff lives within walking distance.

"They called me in tomorrow because they have no staff," he said. "I'll be the only person in the dental department. … It's only a half-hour walk for me."

The dominoes of every day normalcy all stand or fall on the power, said Kiernan. Once the power is back up, public transportation can get back online, city streets-overcrowded on an average day and pushed to the brink right now-will see a reduction in traffic, and rising fears about a gas shortage will be quelled.

The view from the Williamsburg Bridge perfectly sums up for him the bifurcated situation faced by New Yorkers right now. "One side is stark, with the buildings completely dark. ... It's scary and dark and shops are closed," said Kiernan. "On the right side, it's lit."

Fortunately, Kiernan and his family came through the storm relatively unscathed, he said.

"We're doing remarkably well. … Our neighborhood had power continuously through the storm. So many areas were so hard-hit. … It's hard to get your head around," said Kiernan.