Culver City Local's 'Bucket List' Item Possibly Derailed by Hurricane Sandy; See Video & Photos from East Coast Patches

As Hurrican Sandy bears down on the East Coast, many West Coast residents are unable to return home as flights are canceled. An estimated 129 flights to and from LAX were canceled due to the storm.

One local Culver City resident isn't trying to fly back here, though. She's now waiting on tenterhooks to hear if her flight that was rescheduled out of LAX Tuesday night and has been moved to Wednesday afternoon, will still fly out as planned for her to be able to attend the NYC Marathon on Sunday.

Colette McFadden, a 46-year-old  Culver City physician told Patch she had always wanted to do the marathon as a Bucket List item and was planning to fly out to New York Tuesday night on the red-eye flight to run the New York Marathon this weekend  -  her first ever, until that flight was canceled and rescheduled.

"I have never done a marathon before,"  she told Patch. "I have been putting my name in the lottery for a few years, and miraculously got picked this year.  I have been training very hard. [I'm] very excited.....certainly didn't bargain on the storm!  NYC or bust!

McFadden added she's now waiting "on pins and needles to see if my rescheduled plane on Wednesday afternoon from LAX can get me there."

The Associated Press reported Monday morning that NYC Marathon organizers do not expect Hurrican Sandy to affect Sunday's race.

Do you know of someone who is on the East Coast braving the storm? Do you know someone who is stranded due to Hurricane Sandy? Please write about it in the COMMENTS area below, and post a photo if you have one.

Patch has all the coverage in the local communities detailed here (CLICK HERE).

Those of us on the West Coast understand how to get ready for earhquakes and wildfires, but are folks ready for a hurricane disaster along the Atlantic?

How have your friends and family prepared? Are they evacuating? Are they going to ride out the storm? What have they told you?

Share your conversations with them here on Patch.

And if you want to track first-hand news of the storm, there are hundreds of Patch towns from Florida to New England. Check out their reports here.

Here are just a few recent Patch storm headlines:

• Photo Gallery: Storm Hits Monday in Ocean City
• Live Discussion Board in Ocean City
• Check out Yorktown-Somers Patch's full coverage of Hurricane Sandy
• Stormy Social media tips and reminders
• Fire Island Under Mandatory Evacuation Order as Sandy Nears