As Westport suffered in the aftermath of last week’s storm, the rest of the country rallied to help.
You may not have seen this appeal circulating on the internet — how could you, with your power out and your smartphone uncharged? — but it just goes to show how generous Americans can be, in time of need. Is this a great country or what?
We need your help!
New Orleans , Haiti and Chile have had their tragedies. And America was there to help. Now the scene shifts further north. And again, you are needed.
The counties of Fairfield and Westchester, in the northern New York City suburbs, were battered by a mighty “Nor’Easter” on Saturday. And life has not returned to normal.
Most of both counties were without power or heat for most of the weekend, and many remain in the dark and cold. The hardships have been profound.
With only laptops, coffee, books and food to sustain them, families huddled together for comfort in the Westport Public Library.
To combat the sub-50 degree temperatures, many residents were forced to keep their North Face down parkas on all day (along with their cashmere socks and sweaters). Stocks of split, dried Vermont firewood and Ralph Lauren Home candles have grown dangerously low.
Unable to get internet access or charge their iPhones and Blackberrys, devastated citizens drove for up to 5 miles to find the nearest Starbucks or Barnes & Noble, and then had to fight unruly crowds, as bored middle-aged suburbanites jostled with one another for a seat near an outlet.
In Greenwich, the storm struck to the heart and soul of the community as the roof was ripped off the most revered building in the town, and the center of its spiritual life: Whole Foods.
Because crews could not remove all the hundreds of fallen trees immediately, many roads are literally impassible, forcing residents to drive their Range Rovers and Lexuses hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet out of their way around winding detours.
Unable to cook even the simplest spinach omelet at home, residents crowded into upscale bistros eager to order a simple swordfish, with just lemon, and a modest Pino Grigio, before supplies were exhausted.
We need your help. No donation is too small, but what is needed most urgently are fully charged iPods, UGGs, hunter rain boots in all colors, and steaming hot grande mocha frappacinos.