The Wrath of Sandy

                On Sunday, October 28, a hurricane ripped up the eastern coast of the United States. Normally people associate the name Sandy with a sweet girl, such as the main character from “Grease.” However, Hurricane Sandy was definitely not sweet. Sandy devastated the coast of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. The effects of the storm in Maryland could be felt all the way to Garrett County, in the western-most region of Maryland.

                Garrett County citizens gained the most snowfall out of all of the counties in Maryland last week. Some areas of Garrett County were recorded to have up to 30 inches of snow. While this is no record for the county, many people had not expected so much snow, and were badly-prepared for the damage that it would cause.

                Many citizens of Garrett County lost power when the storm hit, and many are still suffering without power. Lea Gatto, a manager at the Oakland Sheetz store, said that she has not been told when she is getting power back. Gatto has been living the past week in the cold darkness, and actually looks forward to going to work simply for the heat. She stated, “I live in the middle of nowhere so I probably will be the last person to get power. I probably won’t get it back for a few weeks.” Many people were able to get their electricity restored over this past weekend, when workers from electric companies around the country flooded the county.

                Today’s issue of the Cumberland Times-News newspaper states that 5,400 Potomac Edison customors are still without power, but 95% of roads are now open. According to the November 11 issue of the Oakland-based newspaper, The Republican, some places in Garrett County had up to 30 inches of snow. The storm was devastating to the natural landscape of the county, destroying thousands of trees in the area.

                Jodie Holland was especially devastated over the loss of so many trees. Her husband, Gary Holland, owns a trees and shrubs nursery, which was badly impacted by the storm. The storm destroyed the very essence of their income, and it will talk until summer to even begin the planting process again.

Holland also commented on the sight of the snow. “The snow was blue, like cotton candy. I’ve never seen anything like it. Everyone’s been talking about it.” Indeed, many people were overheard commenting on the baby blue-tinted snow on the ground.

                This storm was very unique overall. People could look out of their windows in Western Maryland Sunday night and see blue and green lightning, an abnormal sight during a snow storm. While Frostburg was certainly not hit as hard as other places, it was still an incredible sight for any resident to witness.

Katy Limpert said that she stayed in her house and watched all of the storm action from her window. She stated “We sat in my living room and watched four transformers blow across the street and a tree fall on someone’s porch. It was crazy!” Limpert said that she also witness the eerily-colored lightning, and was completely stunned by the beauty of it. Whether students were inside their houses studying or playing board games, it seems that Frostburg students played it safe during the storm, which is of the utmost importance.