for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com OCTOBER 24, 2013 • The queens CourieR 45 oped What are your memories of Sandy? street talk BY LIAM LA GUERRE, JOHANN HAMILTON & RACHEL LANDAU WHERE ARE WE ONE YEAR LATER? BY STATE SEN ATOR JOSE PH ADDABBO JR. On any particular day, whether I’m working, getting a cup of coffee, shopping or having dinner in the district, people detail their experiences involving Superstorm Sandy in many different ways. A year later, many still get tears in their eyes, others remain frustrated about the lack of progress, while some see it as a chance to make improvements and some are optimistic about community improvements. One storm, a year later, still causes many emotions. While we can’t control the weather, we can take steps to control the level of our preparedness and what direction our government takes in addressing the next storm. We’ve learned a lot from Sandy, and I would urge my constituents to think ahead and make sure they have detailed emergency plans in place: know how to contact one another in case of an emergency; have adequate supplies of canned goods, medicines, batteries, flashlights and water on hand; know what to do to help secure your homes and properties to minimize risks during a storm. Useful hurricane preparedness information may be found at this NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services website: http:// www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/event/hurricane-safety.cfm. I, along with other elected officials, have been advocating for adequate funding and needed legislation to help the district address the many serious human, economic and other consequences resulting from Sandy. As a member of the New York State Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy, I look forward to continuing the effort of our state in responding to Sandy’s devastation and obtaining assistance for those in need. Currently, our city’s and state’s portion of the federal funding of $61 billion to help Sandy victims is being distributed through NYC Build It Back program, and the state’s utilization of community leaders in its NY Rising Community Reconstruction program aimed at improving our infrastructure. A range of bills aimed at addressing various aspects of Sandy’s impact were passed by the state legislature and have been recently signed into law by the governor. Some topics include rebates of real property taxes, assisting Breezy Point residents with street frontage issues unique to Breezy Point, exemptions to filing fees related to federal Small Business Administration Disaster Loans, and the implementation of improved tornado warning systems. This year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season is not yet over. We have learned a lot from Sandy and a year later are still dealing with its aftermath. It’s OK to share our emotions, feelings and sentiments about Sandy, knowing also that by working together we can rebuild and be prepared better than ever. Senator Joseph Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial District encompassing the communities – in whole or in part – of Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and the Rockaways. It destroyed a lot of New Jersey and New York. Many people got hurt. Daniel Ketz We sat by our front door and at about 9 p.m. the water started to rise above our entrance. We were helpless in our efforts to prevent the water from coming in. We waited it out. The water level was at a car door. It was very eerie because the power was off. Herb Listopad I live in Ozone Park so nothing much was going on over there. It was windy and looking out the window you could see the rain. Ivan Wylie What I remember most is all of the houses destroyed, all of the people who suffered. Ronald Kenchon I was standing in front my house and I actually saw the water when it was first coming. The water started to come from around the corner and flood the whole street. We were stunned we had never seen anything like that before so we came back in the house. It was such a frightening thing. We started to go up the steps because the water started to come in higher and higher. Elliot Jacks I didn’t think it was going to be as big as deal as it turned out to be. Our house didn’t lose power but my parents kept us inside for a few days because they were afraid there would be looting. Nathalie Blackmon I remember being really scared because nothing like that had ever happened to me before. Luckily our house wasn’t destroyed or anything, but a few friends of mine in Rockaway wound up with no power for a few days. Gabby Hinton Our house didn’t have power for a couple of days, but my mom bought enough emergency food to last us in the meantime. I was pretty scared for my friends in other areas who I couldn’t get in touch with though. Sharia Stevens I think my block was the only one that still had power after the storm. We took a stroll to Cross Bay Boulevard. It was pretty bad. The trees were knocked down everywhere. Yvan Pangilinan The slow reaction of the mayor and the insufficient plan for the disaster that was coming. The mayor didn’t come to the aid of the outer-boroughs quickly enough. Robert Garner We had no electricity for 27 or 28 days. Fortunately, we live on the second floor. It was really windy, the trees were blowing and then the water came in. I would say about seven feet high outside. Boats were coming down my street. People were paddling boats to rescue people that were on their roofs or on the second floor. Eric Hill The water had no place to go, it flooded the streets and it went up the streets and into everyone’s homes and it flooded the entire first level of the house. The upstairs was not touched. Everything downstairs had to be replaced: the heating, the air conditioning, every piece of furniture, the floor, the walls… Dorris Brown
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