destroyed-houses-2-months-after-hurricane-sandy-rockaways-queens

Image source: Business Insider – one of the homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

Business Insider recently published a couple of connected stories on the state of the Rockaways two months after Hurricane Sandy. There are a lot of photos that are worth taking a look at.

Cleanup and repair will come, partially funded by the Federal government, though what the House voted on was a fraction of what was proposed by the Senate – $9.7 billion to $60.4 billion. This money will go towards projects that help the most people (so, the most bang for the buck), like road repairs as well as things having to do with repairing overall infrastructure.

The Rockaways are still home to much detritus and many damaged buildings, not to mention the boardwalk having been destroyed, with only the concrete supports remaining in some areas. Mold is still prevalent and a continuing health problem. There is a lingering malaise and disappointment in the relief agencies that many residents expected to be there to help. They’ve had to rely on each other in many cases:

Many people we spoke to said they felt let down by the city government and that local business owners and individuals from the community played a crucial role in organizing volunteers and donations. Devin Fitzgerald, a resident of the area, said, “I don’t know how we would have survived without the community pulling together.”

At this point, it’s not so much that people need food and clothing, but they do need relief and financial aid; phone service has also been disrupted much longer than expected. Some folks say their insurance claims have been denied.

It is believed that in the end, $1.09 billion in FEMA aid will be distributed to those affected by Sandy.

More Than Two Months Since Hurricane Sandy, Here’s What It STILL Looks Like On Rockaway Beach [Business Insider, 1/6/13]

After days of tension political infighting and public eruptions, Congress finally voted Friday to approved $9.7 billion in disaster relief funds to provide flood insurance for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The vote temporarily quells the bipartisan outrage over Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s earlier decision to pull the plug on the bill.

We headed out to Rockaway Beach this week to get a firsthand view of how critical this relief money will be to communities affected by Sandy. More than two months after Sandy hit, this blue-collar beachside community is still struggling to recover from the superstorm, which devasted homes, businesses, and civic life up and down the shoreline.

Striking Photos Of The Devastated Rockaways Two Months After Sandy (article + slideshow) [Business Insider 12/24/12]

Nearly two months after Hurricane Sandy, the devasted community of Rockaway Beach, N.Y. is still reeling. Pieces of the boardwalk are littered across the beach, homes need to be cleaned in full hazmat gear, and insurance claims are only just starting to get resolved if at all.

Many people we spoke to said they felt let down by the city government and that local business owners and individuals from the community played a crucial role in organizing volunteers and donations.

Despite the challenges, people are moving forward.

Here is the link to the photo slideshow

Hurricane Sandy utterly destroyed the Rockaway boardwalk [QNYC]
More Hurricane Sandy aftereffects – do not mess with the black mold [QNYC]


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