Take a deep breath...

Together... we pulled through. (Photo by John Lynch)

Where to even start?

Well... what a wild ride the past few days have been!

Hurricane Sandy arrived yesterday and imposed her will on the Jersey Coast. Though she left unprecedented destruction in her wake, it seems that the Wildwoods have pulled through in relatively decent shape.

While there is much work to be done and weeks, perhaps months, of clean-up ahead, this is also a time to be thankful. Glimpses of the devastation in Reeds Beach, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, and several other towns are almost unthinkable, and underscore how fortunate the 5 Mile Beach communities are tonight.

Our thoughts and prayers will remain with our coastal neighbors.

As it relates to the Wildwoods' good fortune, personally, I can't help but think back to yesterday (Monday) morning.

As high tide rolled in and areas began to experience varying degrees of coastal flooding - hours before Sandy was to make landfall - I couldn't help but wonder and fear what the island might look like today.

There is evidence of the storm's impact everywhere. Debris and tree branches on roads, many structures damaged, and homes left without power. But still, it's plain to see, things could have been much, much worse.

By and large, the Wildwoods have been spared. The Boardwalk, amusement piers, and Convention Center appear to be in fine shape.

So, take a deep breath tonight, dear friends. We hope that you are well, and that conditions are favorable, wherever you are.

Collectively, the staff of Wildwood 365 would like to sincerely thank all of our readers and those who contributed to our storm coverage via our social media pages over the past few days. We did our best to inform, but that was only possible because of YOU.

(Considerable appreciation goes out to Cathie Behneman, Joey Contino, John Lynch, Carol Boyce McCormick, Tom McDevitt, and Kathy Resnick, for all of your help!)

We would also like to extend a special and eternal THANK YOU to our emergency responders. To the brave men and women of the police, fire, and rescue departments, you have our undying admiration and appreciation for all that you do.

Not just in times such as this, but always!

In the days ahead, we will continue to update on the island's recovery from this monumental storm. But, we also look forward to getting back to the fun stuff, especially with the holiday season all but upon us.

We can only hope for a relatively quiet winter. But, for now, we have but one thing left to say...

GOD BLESS THE WILDWOODS!