Darkness, destruction and theft • Welcome to the largest refugee camp in New York

Several days have passed since Hurricane Sandy moved to Canada and still tonight (Thursday), New York, New Jersey and Hareidi neighborhoods in these countries, are licking their wounds and have difficulty recovering.

More:
• Jews among the victims of 'Sandy' • House of Mordechai Ben David flooded
• Day After 'Sandy': Darkness, looting and destruction in Batei Midrash
• Despite the gloom: Satmer Rebbe did not abandon Kiryat Yoel

Throughout the states of New York and New Jersey power grids are still not working, gas networks collapsed, transportation is still not operating properly, petrol stations ran out of fuel and there is a severe shortage of food.

More than any other Haredi concentration in these countries, the Seagate neighborhood located on the beach suffered most, and the Satmar Yeshiva located there was almost completely destroyed.

By some of the residents of New York desperation is increasing after three days without electricity, water and heat and those who could temporarily abandoned the city.

"The city is dirty, it is hell here and it is getting a little crazy," said Michael Toffler, who went on a bus to Philadelphia with his family, "We lived on candles, no electricity, it's cold. We gave up."

The subway started rolling again after three days. But not to the beaten parts of Brooklyn, where the tunnels are flooded with water.

Bridges to the city are open, but the police enforce the rule that all vehicles must carry at least three people, to ease the load. However traffic jams are stretching for miles.

The most serious problem is the lack of electricity in the city. This are the power outages in the history of the country's energy companies.

Companies that serve millions of users are still not sure when they will return to provide electricity. "The scale of the flooding is unprecedented," said a spokesman for PSEG Energy.

According to the companies electricity will not return to flow in New York until Shabbos. In New Jersey, the situation is even worse: According to the companies, power will not return for another two weeks, and residents of Kiryat Yoel and Monsey are desperate.

The power cuts increase the pressure on the gas stations which are emptying of fuel, and long lines of customers are demanding gasoline to heat their homes.

"My cousin went out at 5am to look for fuel," says A., Hareidi resident of New York, "he stood 4 hours in line but before it was his turn, fuel ran out.

"He went on to another station," he says, "but there too he could not get fuel."

"Currently," he notes, "in the Hareidi neighborhoods of Brooklyn there are only two gas stations operating - one in Flatbush on Coney Island, and one in Williamsburg on Kent street. Though there are long lines and it take six hours until everyone will get fuel, if at all."

And so people are seen walking at night with a flashlight of miners on their foreheads, and bicycle lights pinned to their shoulder bags. There is also a shortage of water, and in some cases fire hydrants were opened to provide water to residents.

The great fear in New York is the shortage of energy resources and electricity, will harm sick people in need of heating or electricity in order to save their lives.

So too, the concern is that the lack of fuel will harm rescue operations. "There are currently active two gas stations," adds A, "One in Kiryat Yoel and one in Monsey. They have fuel, but they provide fuel only to rescue vehicles, fire engines and generators for urgent use."

The difficult situation at gas stations caused strife and conflicts. Local police closed three stations due to violent clashes which erupted between those waiting in line. So too in New York several stations were closed down for the same reason.

The emergency situation led to organizing of Chessed in Hareidi neighborhoods: For example, the Haverim organization in Kiryat Yoel opened a special line for those who need to wash their clothes. The clothes are transferred to houses where electricity is still flowing.

Also a special line was started for accommodation in places where electricity flows for the sake of housing for residents of Monsey and Kiryat Yoel, who are without electricity.

Due to the difficult situation, the National Guard in cooperation with the authorities and charity organizations in New York are going about stricken areas and distributing food and fuel for the needy.

Meanwhile: Crown Heights is shaken due to the assaulting of a young Jewish student of 21 - Yirmy Fruchtgut.

The young graduate of Princeton University, and a yeshiva bochur in the present, was attacked in the middle of the night of the storm by a black gang.

One member of the gang dropped the young man to the ground, and the others beat him and stole his wallet and cell phone in his possession.

The CrownHeights.info website published a grainy photo and video from a security camera, in which the youngster is seen, severely beaten. "They yelled at me 'Look down or we'll shoot you'," recalled the young man.

The youngster was found laying in the street by a Hareidi passerby who tried to get help. But rescue centers he tried to make contact with, did not work.

After a while the members of Hashomrim of the area, managed to call the police. See a video from the harsh incident.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!