Stormy diary • Lapidot and Amiran and Arik Dvir reporting on Superstorm 'Sandy'

Residents of the United States woke up this morning (Tuesday) to devastation after the hurricane Sandy's impact. The death toll rose to 33 people, and more than seven million people are still in the dark. Heavy floods were recorded in New York and nearby New Jersey.

Yishai Lapidot, Amiran Dvir and his brother Arik Dvir, the Hasidic music industry members, came to New York earlier this week to appear at a bar mitzvah in Manhattan conducted by one of the Jewish community members. The three did not expect the superstorm 'Sandy' to disrupt their plans.

"Already in the afternoon the owner of the event informed us that the bar mitzvah will not take place," says Amiran in a conversation from New York. "With intervention of government authority factors, he received permission to hold the event until 23:00."

He said the three of them promised the bar mitzvah boy: "The stronger the storm outside, the stronger we will sing." Following the weather conditions which had become more difficult during the evening, some guests chose not to attend the event.
Dvir recalled that between songs the trio looked through the windows of the hall. "We saw trees collapsing, traffic lights swinging and things flying through the air, it was scary." At the end of the event, the three returned to the hotel in Borough Park. "When we got back to the hotel, due to the experience and the very sound of the winds, we could not sleep at night."

This morning, after they awoke from a troubled sleep, they went to daven in a synagogue next to the hotel where they are staying in Borough Park. An hour later, Yishai Lapidot who sounded more optimistic than his colleagues spoke to us. "Whoever was in the hotel or at home did not have to worry, our area got hit less hard. Except for the rare cases of fatalities, major concerns have not materialized."

Brooklyn streets this morning are trying to return to their normal life. "We are davening, stores are already opening their doors, there is a lot of garbage in the street, and now we're waiting for an update on our return to Israel."

Arik Dvir, was supposed to have participated at two weddings in Israel, but because of the shutdown of the airports, in the wake of the storm, he had to send his friends to take his place. "Until yesterday afternoon we had a nice walk around the street, but the shops were closed at 17:00, the winds grew stronger and it turned into an unpleasant experience.

Governor of New Jersey: "Unbearable sights"

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a press conference in which he declared that its top priorities after life-saving operations are public transport returning to regular timetable and reactivating the power system.

He announced the opening of the city's bridges to traffic, but said that the subway will return to its regular timetable in four to five days, as well as the power supply. The taxi drivers were instructed to collect a number of passengers on every trip to ease the burden. Schools will remain closed tomorrow. Wall Street stock markets were not opened today.

New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, sounded hoarse at the press conference held this morning, "the level of destruction on the New Jersey coast is unbelievable," he said. He added that whole sections of the coastal railways have been washed away parts of the coast are still under water. He himself could not find a place to land on the islands opposite the coast.

"It's more than I ever thought I would see, it way too much to bear right now."
Landline falls in Kiryat Yoel
18 hours has passed on the residents of Kiryat Yoel without electricity due to hurricane Sandy damage. In recent hours all the phone lines in the city fell, including Hatzalah and Chaveirim's lines, and now there is no way to call them.

As a result, the organization quickly organized command members to be scattered all over the city, so anyone will be able to call the commander near to him in case of an emergency.

In addition the organization is now working in coordination with the authorities when someone calls the emergency number 911 in the U.S. in the city Kiryat Yoel – Hatzalah members will be sent to the scene.

However, cellular phones are still working as usual.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!