NEW YORK CITY — Kansas City-based playwright Vicki Vodrey will have quite a story to share when she gets back to town. She was in New York City for an awards ceremony, but thanks to Superstorm Sandy, she’s going to be there for a while longer.
Vodrey was scheduled to return to the metro on Monday, but her flight was one of over 18,000 flights that have been cancelled due to the storm since Sunday.
“They’ve said to stay in, and so I pretty much have done what they said,” said Vodrey, who has been staying at a friend’s apartment in upper Manhattan. “I was probably at one of the safest places you can probably be.”
Vodrey says that she was able to stay comfortable and dry, but riding the storm out was a scary experience.
“I’ve never been in an earthquake, but (the door) was shaking a lot for about an hour,” said Vodrey. “You could feel the building move.”
The Kansas City-native says that she is keeping in touch with family and friends through Facebook as she watches the aftermath of the storm on TV.
“I love New York and I’m here fairly often, and I mean it’s just horrible,” said Vodrey. “It’s just horrible to see the subways and to see the lower end of Manhattan.”
Vodrey says that she hoped to fly back to Kansas City on Wednesday, but because La Guardia Airport remains closed she’s hoping to get out of New York by Friday.