Hurricane Sandy | New York, NY

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused water levels to rise along the entire east coast of the United States from Florida northward to Maine resulting in 147 deaths and an estimated $50-Billion in damage. The highest storm surges and greatest inundation on land occurred in the states of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, especially in and around the New York City metropolitan area. The New York governor’s office estimates that 305,000 homes were destroyed in the state, mostly caused by storm surge. Whole blocks of houses were swept away on Staten island.

- Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Sandy: National Hurricane Center

Superstorm Sandy was devastating to the wellbeing of thousands of businesses, communities, and homeowners. Can an ad hoc group of energetic and driven individuals come together to bring a humanistic touch to those in immediate need? Too many needed help, there were not enough resources to assist everyone, and time was of the essence as mold and winter was coming.

In volunteering with Respond & Rebuild, and Friends of Rockaway (FoR), our teams set out to assist uninsured homeowners with mucking out, gutting, mold remediation, and re-building in the hardest hit suburbs of New York City.