Novi Family Continues NYC Vacation Through Hurricane
DETROIT (WWJ) - A Novi family is in New York City on vacation and has been there for a few days, making it through Hurricane Irene unscathed.
Helen Winship said it was her family's first trip to the city, one that was supposed to happen earlier this spring, but got postponed. Winship, her husband and three teenagers stuck out the storm on the 48th floor of a hotel off Times Square. She said they contemplated leaving, but talked it over with the hotel staff first.
"They said that they had back up generators in case the power went out, you know, that would cover all the vital operations of the hotel and we did buy in lots of bottled water and Cliff Bars in case we couldn't get any food, but the hotel's had power all night and pretty much we've stuck through the worst of everything. But, I think we did okay. I'd say we made the right decision to stay."
Winship said they got heavy rains overnight, but things have calmed down by Sunday afternoon. She said her teens enjoyed seeing Times Square before the storm hit.
"We could not believe the energy in Time Square and how many people were up and around and the lights. So, I've taken quite a few photographs of how, you know, the stores. Yesterday, most of the stores were closed with little notices in the windows because the mass transit stopped at noon."
Her family is planning to come home on Monday, but might have to travel by cars as several flights to and from the city have been canceled.
"I hope that the flights are not too long delayed, but obviously, it's going to take them a few days to get everything back to what it was before. Unfortunately, I don't think that the tour buses will be running today, so I guess we're going to have to do more sightseeing on foot."
