All Eyes on Hurricane Sandy

Area known as "dog beach" in Melbourne, Fla., on Oct. 27. Sandy was still a tropical storm. These past few days, the media have taken a break from election coverage to talk about Hurricane Sandy. It skirted the coast of Florida over the weekend, remaining off shore but causing beach erosion. Now, a much stronger storm is heading for the New Jersey coastline. Storm surges, flooding and wind will impact large areas of the Northeast. Residents in endangered zones have been told to evacuate. Schools, offices and Atlantic City casinos have closed. Flights have been canceled and mass transit routes closed.

Atlantic City boardwalk in summer months. For residents of Melbourne (Fla.), memories haven’t faded of the 2004 season in which two storms hit the area. Power did not return for 10 days in most places. Buildings suffered extensive damage. Blue tarps remained on some roofs for a year or more. A lot of businesses never reopened. In the last month, many of us Floridians received a notice from Citizens Insurance (the government-created insurance of “last resort”), saying that unless we take action before Nov. 6, our homeowner policies will be shifted to other companies. Change like this is rarely a good sign.

Although our coasts are heavily populated, we have advanced warning systems. Think back to the Great Hurricane of Miami of 1926 that killed more than 373 people and injured approximately 6,00 and left thousands homeless. Those people had only a few hours’ notice. They assumed when the eye had passed, the storm had moved on. It hadn’t. In the aftermath, state officials and newspapers, fearful of losing investment and tourist dollars, downplayed the disaster (which slowed relief efforts) and talked instead about new construction. It’s 3 p.m., the storm has picked up speed. I have had Facebook reports of flooding since last night. I’m keeping updated via the Internet, news reports and TV. We hope for the safety of residents and a speedy recovery process.

A Surprise or How we (non-gamblers) ended up in Atlantic City . . .

I have always avoided cities where the main entertainment is gambling, where most visitors remain sequestered in dark, chilled rooms, working their machines with the blinking lights and carnival sounds. But the exception--a wedding shower for my son and his fiancée was to be held in Atlantic City.

My daughter and I were invited but not expected, given that we live “out of town,” in Florida and France. But my daughter started thinking. What if we made a surprise visit? We told no one of our plans except the mother and sister of the bride-to-be. We arrived for an informal brunch, disguised in floppy hats and big sunglasses. It was a surprise.

We had some surprises with the city itself. We had expected loud music on the boardwalk and waves of tourists. We didn’t expect hustlers (always with a proposition), exorbitant fees of ATM machines and lack of grocery stores . . . combined to wear us down. But we found respite in quiet evenings at Bungalow’s, a Mediterranean restaurant with a large outdoor terrace and tango music in the background and in beaches at the south end of the boardwalk.

Our last day in Atlantic City should have been with family and friends at the wedding shower. But a series of thunderstorms with high winds (known as a derecho) charged through the Mid-Atlantic states early Saturday morning, leaving much of the area (with the exception of the casinos) without electricity. Needless to say, the wedding shower had to be postponed, and many people are still without electricity. If you go-- - Atlantic Club Casino Hotel – nice rooms and good rates (if you use Hotels.com or Expedia) at the south end of the boardwalk. Easy parking. Best to go during a weekday. - Bungalow’s restaurant—corner of the boardwalk and California Avenue. Also numerous fast-food and high-end restaurants (in casino hotels) line the boardwalk. - Jitney transportation (along Pacific Avenue, to casino hotels, marina and Tanger Outlet mall). $2.50 - A nature reprieve – wetlands and marshes near Cape May in the south and the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge just north. - Other – Going south—Margate has luxury beach homes and Lucy the Elephant. Wildwood, a beachside resort with boardwalk has the amusement park rides, fast-food and souvenir stores as well as restaurants, Wawa grocery stores, liquor/wine stores, and ATM machines. - Travel –Direct flights from Orlando and other cities (some cities have direct flights only in the summer). Philadelphia International Airport is an easy drive (about an hour).