Local man worries about relatives in New Jersey
By: Kris Schuller
Updated: October 29, 2012
People across the country are being impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Today one Green Bay man spent most of his time on the phone, making sure his relatives in New Jersey were safe.
Vincent McLaughlin had a hard time keeping his mind on work at M-G-L Fitness on Monday. He spent most of his day on the phone, checking in with relatives in New Jersey, about to face down hurricane sandy.
"There some people on the coast - some inland, " said McLaughlin, who moved to Wisconsin from New Jersey 12 years ago. "They have their generators hooked up to pumps and refrigerators and they are ready to go."
In all some 50-million people from the mid-Atlantic to Canada are in the path of the nearly 1-thousand mile-wide storm. Perhaps the largest ever to hit the U.S. mainland, toppling trees, knocking out power and causing heavy flooding.
"They say the worst of it is yet to come. They are suppose to get 70-90 mile per hour winds. Hopefully everyone gets through that OK."
While McLaughlin is confident his family will weather the storm, many more will not. Which is why Tuesday the American Red Cross from Green Bay will send an emergency response vehicle to New York to hand out supplies where needed to hurricane victims.
"They'll distribute hot food, clean-up kits, water, distribute to individuals that have been impacted," said Jody Weyers of the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of the American Red Cross.
But with the storm coming on shore in the middle of the night, it's full impact won't be known until daylight. Which means McLaughlin's cell phone will remain by his side, as he spends a sleepless night worrying about his family.
"Hopefully - they'll all be OK."
