Not too long after the rain stopped the yelling started. Not yelling out of danger, but the kind of yelling you hear when people are having an unexpected good time. With Hurricane Sandy’s winds briefly at a lull a game of touch football broke out in the streets of Astoria.

A handful of neighbors played, while a few more watched, either from the sidelines or from their porches. A couple others called out from their windows as the two teams marched up and down the street.

Off in the distance a siren blared, the ground was oddly dry after the day’s rain had been blown away and an ambulance or two dove by. Despite these reminders of Sandy the two teams played on, providing the block with a welcome distraction from the storm.

Text & photos: Dan Meade
October 30, 2012