New Jersey is not known for its hurricanes. In fact, NJ was a really nice place to grow up partly because we never worried about tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, or usually even blizzards (except for the Blizzard of ’96 which I remember vividly…). Yet, New Jersey, New York, and surrounding areas got hammered by Hurricane Sandy over the last two days.

You know this. You were there, or at least most of you were in the U.S. where you saw storm coverage all over the news. For me, safely tucked away on the other side of the world, the news came from Google searches, weather.com videos, and pictures lining my Facebook wall. I’m sure you’ve seen the images of a tanker run aground in New York City, of subways flooded with saltwater, of New Jersey boardwalks crumbling, streets flooded, and houses demolished.

Here are some highlights (or lowlights?) from my Facebook wall that show the destruction hitting a little too close to home for some of my friends and family. I’m calling this “Hurricane Sandy vs. The Trees.”

Final score? Hurricane Sandy: 5. Trees: 0.

I’m glad I didn’t have to ride out Hurricane Sandy in my hometown of Flemington, NJ. I’m also thankful that I have yet to hear of serious property damage, injury, or death within my circle of friends and family on the east coast. I am praising the Lord that everyone I know is alive and safe, but I am also praying for all of those who are facing the work of rebuilding after the devastation.