A Community of E-Scavengers

Abstract

Abstract: This essay examines the author's experience of the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Living in New York at the time, the author describes the preparations she undertook along with her husband to stay secure during and after the storm raged on. Due to the storm, the author lost power to her apartment, causing her and her husband to e-scavenge. E-scavenging is described as searching for charging ports and services in order to charge devices, connect to the internet, and receive phone calls and text messages. The author examines the emotional tolls that a disruption of this nature can bring, along with anxiety and fears. She recounts the changes in daily life; the lack of hustle and bustle that usually fill the streets of New York City. The author is voicing a need to look at the costs of Superstorm Sandy in terms of social and human costs rather than simply the monetary costs reported by New York's MTA and news media.