Convoy of Hope Holds Tight as Nor'easter Slams Sandy-Battered Coast

ASBURY PARK, N.J. -- A mix of heavy rain, wind and snow bore down on the U.S. Northeast on Wednesday, as more than 600,000 households that have been without power for nine days prepared for a long, cold night.

"While this storm is not as dangerous as Sandy was, New Yorkers should still take safety precautions today and tonight," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters Wednesday.

Forecasters predicted gusts of up to 60 mph in shore towns and cities across New York and New Jersey, bringing 2- to 4-foot storm surges just as homes and office buildings had begun to dry out and floodwaters to recede after Superstorm Sandy.

Springfield-based Convoy of Hope is in the region assisting with recovery due to Sandy. Jeff Nene, Special Assistant to the President/National Spokesperson, spoke with KOLR10 News Wednesday from Asbury Park, New Jersey.

"It's really nasty outside," he said. "It's got that large flake, cold and wet snow. The wind is blowing hard already. It's not crippling, but it certainly puts a damper on what people are trying to do right now. It makes it really tough for people living in conditions where they don't have power or heat."

Nene says the agency will not leg up, and has gotten good weather reports to plan around.

"Today we had incoming trucks come to our temporary warehouse here. We were able to offload product and get it ready to go. We kind of button up for probably a half-a-day, day-and-a-half, somewhere right in there. Sometime tomorrow, depending on when the weather lifts, we'll be right back at it again."

Looking back to Hurricane Katrina, Nene offered his take on the stark differences.

"They are two entirely different types of response and types of disaster. This is the first time I can ever recall where we've had to do a disaster response in the middle of a snow storm. So that's taken a little adjustment. They're just different. It's a disaster within a disaster -- and that's the incredibly high number of people who are living without electricity right now."