Sandy +3, Thursday, November 1, 2012 - Day of the POD

Spent most of the day calling out CERT members to work at the Point of Distribution (PODs) handing ice and water today and tomorrow.  The way a POD works is people drive up in their vehicles and volunteers load the allotted goods into the vehicles.  If the team was a combat unit I would deem us combat ineffective at this point.  Despite lack of power, internet, no landline and sporadic cell phone service, we did field four people for the POD today and five for tomorrow.  The fire departments are assisting with labor at the PODs and the more of us that show up the longer breaks they can get between call outs. 
I ended up working the POD for a few hours today.
Power is on at our local library and tons of people were taking advantage of the internet access and warm surroundings. 
Mail service is not happening and yet today I got home to find that UPS had delivered a package.
Lines at the few open gas stations are unbelievably long.  Police officers were posted at the two open stations that I saw today.
I heard a report of looting or break-ins in the county from homes that had been evacuated.  The baddies are on the prowl.
Things I wish I had or had more of:
Auto /generator Fuel - storing a minimum of forty-five gallons for the next event.
Camo netting to cover stuff like the generator when not in use.
Propane.  The more the merrier.  Can you say camp stove or portable heater?
Pocket Hotties hand warmers.  This wouldn't be needed if my house was warm enough all the time but it is not. 

Wood stove to warm house when all else is unavailable.

Thanks to an email from a friend, I found some interesting stories from other affected storm victims at this site:
http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/11/six_letters_re_hurricane_sandy_after_action_reports.html

Distributing water and ice at the POD