QUEENS:

Damage:

• Fires and floods destroyed 350 homes in Breezy Point, a neighborhood in the Rockaways

Recovery:

• One-third of the homes in Breezy Point remain unoccupied.

• In accordance with new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps, all houses are being rebuilt at a higher elevation.

Statistics:

• Approximately 15,000 flights were canceled

• On Nov. 2, 84,000 people did not have power.

Reactions:

Rebekkah Thompson, 38, one of the organizers at Turn the Tide, and a Rockaways resident

“Spiritually and emotionally, Sandy victims are still healing,” Thompson said. “And for some, the healing may never come hundred percent.”

 Judy Bennett, Rockaways resident,  71

“We’ve had a lot of losses, but this one kind of did me in. For my whole life, I saved rare books and I had them in the store room in the basement, and they’re all gone…And worst of all, we lost our son six years ago, and I saved what I pulled out of his personal things [and stored them in the basement]. The only thing that wasn’t down there was his French horn, so I managed to keep that. It’s in my studio. I don’t seem to be able to get my mojo back anymore.

“FEMA helped us. Our insurance helped us. It could never pay for what we lost because our basement was a treasure trove. All of our photos. Anything of our past is completely gone.

But it didn’t come upstairs to ruin my life’s work. My studio room was not touched…All my orchids were in bloom. That was the only hopeful thing. Every orchid. I have a plant room, studio, in the back. It was 40 degrees. We had no heat. No light. No anything. We stayed there. We never left.”

 

BROOKLYN: 

Damage:

• Trains to and from Manhattan were suspended.

• The New York Aquarium was flooded and heavily damaged

Recovery:

• The Brooklyn Recovery Fund has spent $3.5 million in the borough, concentrating efforts in Canarsie, Red Hook, Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen Beach, Brighton Beach and Coney Island.

• Luna Park in Coney Island was reopened in March, while the New York Aquarium reopened its doors to visitors in May.

Statistics:

• On Nov. 2, there were 35,000 people without power

Reactions:

CAS freshman, Hamza Muhammad, lived in Brooklyn when Sandy struck, and currently commutes.

“I did not suffer the bulk of the hurricane’s devastation. I experienced randomly spaced power outages, and the police as well as the National Guard issued a warning to stay inside for there was a risk of falling trees. Hence, I was confined to my home.”

“Though I plan to stockpile on supplies this year, my friends are planning alternatives in the event another severe storm approaches. Some plan to visit and stay with family in other states,” Muhammad said. “This year, evacuation is key.”

 

BRONX

Damage:

• The Bronx experienced the least damage. Approximately 2,000 residents applied for aid.

• Flooding and a fire in City Island, located on the Long Island Sound, was extinguished by 145 firefighters.

Recovery:

• The New York Yankees and other organizations helped gather donations for residents affected by the storm.

Statistics:

• On Nov. 2, there were 31,000 people without power.

 

STATEN ISLAND

Damage:

• More than 75,000 residents of the borough — about 15 percent of the population — were affected.

• Twenty-three deaths — most from flooding — contributed to more than half of the total in New York City.

Recovery:

• The American Red Cross donated over $700,000 to recovery efforts as recently as this month

Statistics:

• On Nov. 2, there were 54,000 people without power.

Reactions:

Sarah Smith, sophomore in Steinhardt, from grymes hill, north shore of staten island

“I remember going to Wagner High School, my alma mater, and one of the evacuation centers after the storm had hit. The school was packed with hundreds of people, children, adults, senior citizens and even patients from the psychiatric facilities due to the lack of power.

“I volunteered a few days after the storm. The halls that I used to walk through were lined with cots, unfamiliar faces and the stench of individuals who hadn’t showered in days. There were police everywhere, patrolling bathrooms and classrooms.

“It’s been a year since the storm, the boardwalk has been rebuilt, but most of the homes have been torn down and the lots are vacant. I have friends who will never live in the homes they grew up in again. Some people have rebuilt, but the area is less populated, store owners that could rebuild did, others couldn’t financially bounce back, and some relocated farther from the water, afraid of any future devastation. Looking back a year ago is difficult. It’s filled with images of crumbled homes, boats and cars crashed into store windows, but the community is doing its best to rebuild. Hopefully this anniversary will remind Staten Islanders that we are a part of a strong and diverse community, something we are not always mentioned for. We are more than the ‘forgotten borough.’”