Sandy: Your Mobile Photos

By COLlive reporter

Even before forecasters were saying that Sandy is no longer a hurricane but a post-tropical storm – albeit with 85 mile an hour winds – activity in the main shul at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights continued as usual.

There were the late shachris minyanim and the bochurim keeping their minds focused on learning. Some trees have been falling around the neighborhood and residents mostly kept indoors.

NYC Public Schools will remain closed Tuesday, as well as many roads, highways and bridges. Crown Heights schools remain closed as well.

“It wasn’t too bad for us so far,” said Rikvah, a mother of 5. “But in the last hour our lights have begun to flicker. It’s getting a bit worrisome.”

The National Hurricane Center said Monday evening that Sandy is losing strength but still has sustained winds at 85 mph and dangerous – now taking dead aim at New Jersey and Delaware, AP reported.

The storm knocked out electricity to more than 1.5 million people and figured to upend life for tens of millions more. Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Director of Chabad of Mineola in Long Island, has resorted to a flashlight during davening after losing power at his home.

Thankfully, many have not lost their mobile connection and have been sharing comments and photos on Facebook. Some COLlive.com fans sent photos of the view from their homes and even from the empty streets.

One batch of photos were taken in the home of R’ Itchik Rivkin on President Street in Crown Heights, where some neighbors gathered for a maariv minyan, instead of walking to shul.

Comedian Mendy Pellin tweeting from the good weather in California: “If the government was smart, it would sell the name of hurricanes to corporations. ie.. The Staples is about to hit the east coast!”