Fourteen months after Hurricane Irene, Lower Manhattan was again the scene of residents on the move, hauling belongings from their apartment buildings and moving out of the way of an impending storm.
While the mandatory evacuation on Sunday seemed little heeded in parts of Zone A (few people left Tribeca's Independence Plaza complex, for example), it was a different story in Battery Park City, located entirely in the zone. There, many residents said they were forced to leave because of a planned shut down of elevators and possibly electricity.
"We live on the 32nd floor we've got two big dogs," said Jeff Galloway, standing with his wife Paula in the Gateway Plaza driveway and loading up their trunk. "I was here [without power] on 9/11 and I didn't want to do that again."
"We have a newborn and we don't want to take risks," said Sara Baldwin, waiting to be picked up outside the Solaire with husband Tyler and 6-month-old Caroline.
In the lobby of 325 North End Avenue, a notice from Related Management told residents that the staff would be shutting down building systems and evacuating the building as well. "With no [Related] staff in the building you would be placing your household at increased personal risk," it said.
More than a dozen people stood patiently with their bags at a taxi stand near the entrance to Gateway Plaza. One of them was Emily Giacoman, who lives at 1 Rector Park. She couldn't say whether most people were obeying the city's evacuation orders. "I assume people are getting out but I also saw Whole Foods delivering food as well, so who knows."
"It seems to me that all of the prognostications are for a severe storm, so better safe than sorry," said George Calderaro, who would be leaving the Solaire to stay with a friend in Chelsea.
Liz McCabe, who lives at 350 Albany St., was staying put. "Where my building is located and the position of my apartment I don't feel as vulnerable," she said.
"Hopefully it won't be as bad as anticipated."
Robert Maxwell, of 200 North End Ave., was leisurely walking his two dogs across the street from his building Sunday afternoon while many of his neighbors were leaving him behind. He said he would not be going anywhere.
"I just moved from California and I'm used to earthquakes," Maxwell said. "The other part is that I'm a surfer so water doesn't scare me. I like big waves."