Although this now semi-famous steam tunnel explosion happened six blocks from my office, I am fine. I was working at the time, and the smoke was visible from our windows, as were the thousands of people fleeing Grand Central running out onto the streets. Most disconcerting of all was the loud, persistent rumbling sound we heard. In a situation like this, not knowing is the most frightening - and while I was trying to keep some of the women on my desk calm, it's hard to compete when other departments are telling you that a bomb was just detonated in the Met Life building and are evacuating down your emergency stairwell.
Today our office had no power and we ran on generators in power saving mode, which meant no air-conditioning and low lights. By 4:30 we had to be evacuated again to avert a power outage. We evacuated to the bar across the street. Other than small inconveniences like this and certain subway trains not running, things have gotten back to normal pretty quickly. Mayor Bloomberg says the air is safe, but when I went out at lunch time today, every cop I saw was wearing a respirator, and they told us not to open the windows in the office today as the office slowly melted into sauna-like conditions, so let me tell you how much confidence I have in that pronouncement: none.
I'm very grateful I wasn't out on the street when the explosion happened, dodging debris and trying to keep my bearings in a stampede.
2 comments:
Good.
And nice label.
I am so glad that you are ok! That must have been really scary!
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