The images tell an ongoing story of devastation and despair.  What is creeping in is the full impact of the destruction that comes, little bit by little bit, when you begin to realize how everything is connected.  Electricity is one of the central players.  Without, the gas and water – of which there is plenty – cannot be pumped, and so, in many places, there is none.  In a vertical city, where elevators connect the street to the sky, people have to walk.  The elderly and sick cannot. Where there is no light, there is little protection, and homeowners refuse to leave their possessions unattended.

But it is cold.  The temperatures have dropped significantly and, without heat, the suffering has ramped up.

Jersey, Staten Island, the Rockaways. People are miserable.

The outpouring of help and supplies has been magnificent.  The emergency care assistance has progressed fairly smoothly.  The mood is mostly measured, courageous and positive.  But there is another storm coming, and resistance wears thin after a bit.

And there is always the lurking fear that comes from sensing just how close to the unimaginable one is.