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Debris littered the beaches in Belle Harbor, N.Y., in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Volunteers, residents and government agencies worked together to rebuild the community after the Category 1 storm decimated the Boardwalk and local houses. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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Houses along Rockaway’s coastline were pummeled during Hurricane Sandy. One resident said that the water of the surge had capped the roof of his house, which remained standing. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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A volunteer from the Mormon Helping Hands organization swings his shovel while assisting cleanup efforts in Belle Harbor, N.Y. Their yellow vests could be seen all along the Boardwalk area. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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Residential streets were filled with sand brought in by the storm surge and high tide waters of Hurricane Sandy in Rockaway Beach, N.Y. Volunteers from the Mormon Helping Hands assisted in recovery efforts for residents in the community. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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American flags lined houses destroyed by the storm along the Boardwalk area of Belle Harbor, N.Y., as a sign that Hurricane Sandy would not discourage the community from recovering. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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The high winds of Hurricane Sandy was selective in their destruction, in many cases leaving singular items untouched amid the wreckage of a house. This dining room set was unmoved, but for one chair that Karen, a resident, said, “looked as though someone had only just gotten up.” Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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Relief efforts were big and small in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. At a donation distribution center at St.Francis de Sales Church, toys were handed out in addition to clothing, food and supplies. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
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Valentina Villacis, 4, smiles at her father, Darwin, at the St. Frances de Sales donation distribution center in Belle Harbor, N.Y. The family’s first-floor home was wiped out during Hurricane Sandy. “The storms are just getting work,” Darwin said. “It’s not worth staying anymore.”
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Residents collect donations from the St. Francis de Sales donation collection center in Belle Harbor, N.Y. The surrounding area is recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, knocking out power and water and destroying many homes. Photo by Rebecca Tapio.
I had seen footage of areas on the South Shore decimated by Hurricane Sandy, but nothing could prepare me for the destruction I saw firsthand on the Rockaways.
Dunes of sand filled the streets, military vehicles and police cars roamed the area, and everywhere you looked were people attempting to restore their homes.
Perhaps the most haunting thing for me was looking into houses that had been ripped apart by the wind and water of the Atlantic Ocean, and seeing just how selective they were in their destruction. A dining room was set for dinner, and only one chair was out of place as though, according to a passing resident, someone had only just gotten up from the table. Potted plants remained in their stations next to the front door; kitchen cabinets exposed when a wall was torn from a house all remained closed.
But throughout all of this, there wasn’t overwhelming grief and despair. American flags were raised and pinned up everywhere you looked, and there was a teamwork dogging volunteers and residents who were slowly but surely clearing the sand and debris from their homes.
At a donation distribution center at St. Francis de Sales church in Belle Harbor, people collected food, water, essential supplies and clothing that had been aggregated from different organizations throughout the tristate area. For those without power, this was a spot where they could get the help that they needed.
And that’s what will get me going back; the fact that even among all this destruction, there will be people trying to improve the living conditions of those they don’t even know, for no other reason that it is the right thing to do.
