Desert locals concerned for loved ones in wake of Sandy

The wide spread destruction of Super Storm Sandy can be felt beyond the eastern seaboard, all the way to the Coachella Valley. People with friends and family in Sandy’s path can only watch and hope for the best.

Desert resident Catherine Tucker lived in Long Island for more than sixty years before moving to Palm Desert three years ago. She describes the destruction she’s seen. “It’s Armageddon, but on a smaller scale,” said Tucker.

Tucker still has four siblings in New York, and can only worry and hope to reach them in the wake of the storm. The massive lost of power across the state creates a life or death situation for her brother. “His life sustaining oxygen that he takes daily, needs to be plugged into electricity and he had no access to it,” said Tucker. “He had to go to the one sibling left with electricity.”

Local restaurant owner Michael Castelli also waits anxiously to hear from family. His brother lives in one of the hardest hit areas of the storm, New Jersey. “He just said it’s massive,” said Castelli. “Irene was there, he had flooding with Irene, this one he doesn’t, but the wind and just the destruction is overwhelming.”

While their family members continue to deal with what some have called, ‘the worst storm ever,’ Castelli and Tucker deal with their helplessness thousands of miles away. “You just pray and you watch the TV, you try and get ahold of them,” said Castelli.

“It’s very disconcerting from this end, because I can’t help but I can just pray,” said Tucker.

While they wait, Tucker asks people across the country to do anything they can to help in the recovery effort.

“To reach out even if they don’t have family in that part of the country, to reach out and help in this huge, massive rescue,” said Tucker.