Caitlin Rosentraub, Long Beach

Once I was living in Long Beach. It was my home town for most of my life. It was known for its fantastic, big, beach. Thousands of people would come in hordes from everywhere just to get on the beach. If you were to see them from the sky, they would look like a huge mass of colors covering every inch of sand. However, Long Beach is now in pieces. Long Beach was a medium sized town on the southern part of Long Island. It was seen as a summer vacation hotspot and a home to those who lived there. Although the town’s beach was the main tourist attraction, it was the 2 mile long boardwalk that lured them in. People would come to the boardwalk for many reasons, such as exercising, getting on the beach, buying items and checking out the scenery. All of the summer homes and hotels were right on the beach, giving those who lived there the perfect view of the water. I would visit Long Beach on the weekends to see my friends and family, which made me happy. Recently there was a storm coming, but I thought it wasn’t going too bad. I was wrong. The day Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island was the worst day to be in Long Beach. Although I wasn’t there to witness the storm, my sister and dad were. The storm was surging and flooding the streets. My dad told me it looked like the ocean was outside the front of the house. The water rushed down the driveway and was coming through the door fast. The water was also entering the house through the toilet, bringing sewage along with it. My sister and father had no choice but to go upstairs to escape. Meanwhile, I, my mother, and my grandparents were celebrating my birthday. I was completely unaware that the house was becoming an inside pool. We realized something was amiss when my sister texted my mother, saying “the house is gone.” When I saw Long Beach after Sandy left, it looked like a war zone. Trees had fallen, poles were toppled, and cars were either ruined or moved by the water. The worst sight to see was the boardwalk. It had buckled during the storm surge. Seeing it broken and in pieces was heartbreaking. My house didn’t fare better than the boardwalk. It was unlivable, damp, and wet. Overall, the town felt grey and very depressing. The weeks after Sandy were hard on everyone. The power was out for a long time, even in the Oceanside, the town I resided in. Even though Long Beach was hit the hardest, it will heal over time. The time for repair started immediately for the boardwalk. The locals started helping the hard hit areas of Long Beach dig out the sand in their homes. The National Guard was also helping out; giving the locals food, water, clothes, etc. All we can do now is clean up and move forward.

Nygel Shelby, Floral Park

“My Journey through Hurricane Sandy” This past week was an experience that was really awful but I learned a few things about what to do when in complete darkness. I went about a week straight without power. I will admit it was very stressful but I knew I could get through it. When I first heard of Hurricane Sandy, I honestly didn’t think much of it. We have been in the same predicament before, last year when it was hurricane Irene. Nothing really happened and we still had power. I figured it wasn’t going to be that big of a deal and enjoy a few days off from college. But I was so wrong when I thought it was going to be nothing. Around noon the day of the hurricane before it started, my power went out. I wasn’t that upset because at the time I thought my power would come back on later on. So would I really did was listen to my iPod and went on with my day. But that night was a little frightening to me but more to my mother. While the hurricane was going on, I heard banging outside which really scared my mother. It turns out the banging was due to the fact that some type of metal was stuck to my house and was the cause of the ruckus. The next day my stepdad came home from work since he had no choice but to stay at the job the night before. I knew that would quickly spark an argument between him and my mother. I had a feeling this would happen. But I think the whole time they were arguing was out of stress. I had to sleep wearing a t-shirt followed by a long sleeve shirt then a hoodie for the past couple of days since it was really cold at the time. It wasn’t all to bad since there is a village hall about three houses down from where I live right next to the fire department. They had power so I was usually in there charging my iPod and phone. Every time I rode with my mother just to get out of the house, I always saw cars lining up just to get gas. Some gas stations had no gas while others have a little amount. I never thought something like this would ever happen. People have to wait for hours just to get gas. Some others have to travel outside of New York just to get gas. Also some people have gotten into disputes about who was next to get gas. But the question through out the whole thing is how long this crisis for gas will last? One Sunday afternoon while I was at work on break, I received a text from my step father with the text saying, “We have power”. I was happy and relieved how after about a week, I could go back to my house to power. Who would have thought that this whole thing would be such a horrifying thing? The worst to happen to us is that our fence is down while people lost their homes. Even though the experience was horrible, it did teach me what to do in a situation when you have no power such as buying a generator, buying lights and other things. It may me realize that I should be thankful for the things I have and to have a roof over my head.

Jenna Basile, Glen Cove

We had been hearing for at least a week before Hurricane Sandy hit just how serious it was going to be. I don’t think anyone wanted to believe what they were hearing until Monday night it became a reality. The winds were whipping causing trees to fall when suddenly we lost power. This was just the start in a long journey of which we were going to learn how to adapt. Saturday afternoon my family and I began to take small steps to begin planning for Hurricane Sandy. I began by filling my car up with a full tank of gas while my Dad started filling all of our gas cans. When Sunday rolled around I started to put fresh batteries in all of our flash lights, just in case. We all thought we were over reacting and this couldn’t be hitting as hard as the news had been saying. So Sunday night we took a ride down to Prybil’s Beach to see how high the tides were really going to come up, the beach gates were locked. This was probably the moment my family and I realized Hurricane Sandy going to do some damage. Monday the skies had become very cloudy and the winds very strong. It was just around dinner time that our lights flickered a few times until finally we lost power. This is when the roaring of the generators began throughout my neighborhood. After a few hours of running on a generator, the temperature in my house began dropping. Fortunately we had firewood and put the fire place on for the first of many nights. For the next seven nights we were going to learn how to adapt. Part of our adaption was going to be waiting on gas lines for hours to power our generator. The lines were miles away from the stations, and the crowds were rowdy; it was by far the craziest thing I have ever seen. People slept in their cars overnight waiting on the gas tankers to arrive, cops surrounded the gas stations patrolling the incredible lines. Although we had our generator hooked up to our television our cable lines were still down, we felt very unconnected not being able to watch the news. We had a small radio but that did allow us to get the full effect of what was happening around us. Each day my Grandfather would call from Florida to give us an update on what he heard on the news. To occupy our time at night my family and I watched a few movies and played some board games. This helped pass sometime for us and we were able to get a couple of good laughs. Towards the last few days of not having power we became a little frustrated that most of the streets around us had lights. Everyday my Grandfather would call us from Florida to give us an update on what he heard on the news. Furthermore, after waiting in numerous gas lines, and lighting many fires we finally got power back. We then lent our generator to a friend who was still without power. For those seven nights we were able to realize how much we really do take for granted. The week before we able to get gas within five minutes, and now we were lucky if we got gas within five hours. It was almost like now we were able to reconnect with the world, turning on the television and being able to see the devastation across Long Island. Simply turning the thermostat on and heat going on, or even flipping a light switch and a light turning on were just a few things we were going to appreciate a lot more. Hurricane Sandy was a life changing event for my family and I. Luckily we were able to adapt to the major changes. We were very fortunate to only have lost our lights; others unfortunately lost their homes, cars, or even loved ones. In summation, we were able to take a valuable lesson away from this storm, never to anything for granted.

Cara Camerada, East Rockaway

One of the biggest questions in life that we ask ourselves is what is the most important thing in our lives? Could it be our family, friends, personal items, or even our pets? I believe that life is taken for granted, and we don’t realize the importance of the things that surround us. Hurricane Sandy has brought our attention to these factors. Being that this storm was widely traumatizing, it has brought neighborhoods, families, and friendships closer than ever since everyone was suffering from the same trauma. It is truly amazing to see how one storm can make such a difference within a small town such as mine called East Rockaway. It was only a few weeks ago when we first heard about the massive Hurricane Sandy coming right for us. The first thought that came to everyone’s mind was safety. To insure safety, heavy preparation was needed immediately. Business owners now had to board up their windows, store away all items that would be ruined, and move items in basements to higher levels to avoid flood damage. Household owners and tenants may choose to evacuate depending on where they live, but they are to insure their property is safe. Fortunately for me, my block is on the highest peak of my area, so flooding was not a hazard. There is a sewage plant was only a few blocks away from my house which threatened methane explosion, but was quickly recalled. This would call for a mandatory evacuation, which to me sounded crazy. For now, our main concern was safety. My family and I helped my dad board up the windows, set up the generator, and rotate the drain pipes that boarder the house to push the water away rather than store it in the pipes that could lead to breakage. The emotions and thoughts racing through my mind were like no other. I could not believe that this storm actually had a chance of changing my entire life. Questions were constantly running through my head. Where would we evacuate to? What belongings would I take with me? And even the one question that stuck with me up until the last gust of wind in the storm, will everyone survive? It was scary to actually realize that death was a possibility. With those thoughts, preparing for the storm was excruciating and it felt never ending. It was now Monday October 29th, the first day of Hurricane Sandy in New York. In the morning it felt like a normal day until it reached noon, then the sequence began. The sky darkened, dogs were barking, and the windows were slamming shut. The town was eerie. The winds kicked up around dusk and so did the rain. It was cold. My family and I were all under the covers watching a movie in my living room. All of a sudden was a bang, the power went out. Immediately we switched on the generator that was already set up to cool my refrigerator and turn on some lamps for light in a couple of rooms. As I looked at the window, my stomach dropped. Everything was pitch dark, not one light was visible. I didn’t know how long the power was going to be out, but I knew things were going to change right at that moment. After the storm had finally passed, stress was in the air. Along with other neighborhoods, mine was still without power. People were going crazy looking for gas since it is now scarce since it is needed not just for cars, but generators too. Lines are almost three hour waits, if you’re lucky. Not having power seemed to me like the worst thing to happen, but I quickly caught myself and realized I was being selfish. My house may have went a week without power, but it wasn’t nearly as devastating as families who now have no homes, no furniture, no clothing, and barely any money. Walking through town was eye opening. Trees have fallen and crushed homes, power lines were hanging, street lights have no power, and mothers were holding their children crying in desperation. How could I even complain when all I lost was power? These families lost their lives; everything they had worked for was now washed away with the storm. My family and I went to the local fire house in town where the Red Cross was stationed. Hundreds of people were donating food, clothes, and necessities that victims of the storm had lost. This was truly a heartbreaking experience. Through all that has happened in the past week, I have learned to stay positive. There are worse things in life than losing power. Much more severe damage thankfully didn’t happen to my family, but to others which is mind boggling. My family is safe, and that is all that matters. They are the most important thing in my life. Hurricane Sandy has brought it more to my attention than I already knew. No power is only temporary, but death in a family is permanent.

Raquel Smith, Hempstead

My Journey Through Hurricane Sandy For about a week before Hurricane Sandy occurred my family and I tried to gather the essentials you normally would before a storm like this. We got plenty of water, food, batteries, flashlights and candles. Before the storm hit my family and I did not think it was going to be a severe storm at all. After the little damage Irene did we thought for sure everyone would be good. Soon we saw the damage that it had done immediately after it hit. My journey through Hurricane Sandy gave me a different perspective and helped me be more appreciative. On Sunday evening before the storm my family made sure we had nothing in the backyard or that any of our cars parked next to trees. My mother is a nurse and had to work that day so before she went to work, my sister and I knew if the storm was bad enough she would have to stay overnight at work. Sunday evening my sister and I made sure we got last minute supplies such as water, snacks and candles to help us through the storm. We were as prepared as we could possibly be to get through whatever Sandy was going to bring. Come Sunday morning when I looked outside there were some strong winds and a little bit of rain. Knowing it wasn’t going to be that “calm” the entire day my sister and I who have been underestimating the storm knew we should definitely still stay in the house. It was important that we reached out to as many family members as we could to make sure they stayed in the house to be a safe as possible. We were able to call my Uncle, grand-parents etc to see if they were safe. As we watched the news we found out the storm was going to start hitting hard in the evening around 7 pm. After finding that out my sister and I remained upstairs trying not to be close to any windows. The storm started to hit hard but thankfully for my family the aftermath was not bad at all. We never lost our power and our cars were fine. For others they were not that lucky. Some of my family member’s homes are severely flooded. Because of the electricity problem we have a family member staying with us until things are up and running at their home. Even though it feels good to help those who are in need, it’s quite an adjustment having so many people in your home at one time. We had a total of 4 people including a 1 year old baby. I had to put a blow up bed in my room and my sisters’ room became somewhat of a nursery for the baby. It was hectic to have seven people in the house when you are only used to living with two other people. After staying with us for almost a week I got used to the adjustment. The aftermath of this hurricane was a big devastation to many people. If I learned anything from this experience it’s to always count your blessings and be thankful for what you have instead of complaining about what you don’t have. It could always be worse.

Alexander Rosales Hempstead

Encountering Hurricane Sandy made fight through difficulty that I have experienced before. I have never been in a hurricane this dangerous with winds going 50 to 75 mph trees falling down in front of me and seeing some streets flooded with water. New York is extremely damaged because of hurricane Sandy with no power, gas, or food supplies but New Jersey was hit full on with the Hurricane so one can imagine the damaged there. This Hurricane damage people houses with homes flooded, trees getting knocked over and going into buildings and people living with no power and gas. It was and still is devastation to experience Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy came and went leaving streets and homes destroyed. I believed that this Hurricane is not going to do anything and it was going to be another normal rain storm. My parents, friends, and the news were saying to prepare for this storm because recent storms like this have come and have left people homeless. I still kept thinking to myself, no this is a harmless storm and nothing is going to happen. So I went on with my daily routine, me going to do my homework, finish any assignments for school and then go lie in bed and watch television and maybe hang out with my cousins. Into 30 minutes of watching television, the power goes out and once my power went out I heard the wind. I said to myself, “this is going to be a huge storm after all!” Experiencing Hurricane Sandy for the first time was frightening. During Hurricane Sandy all I kept thinking about was “when will the power come back?” I believed that I would not be able to manage myself going through one day with no power. While still in bed I was listening to the winds blow extremely hard until I heard a “snap” and huge “thump”. I got up from bed and I ran outside to see what happened and it was a tree that has been blown down. All I saw on the street was a log with leaves blocking half the street. After witnessing the tree in the street, I regretted not preparing for Hurricane Sandy. For two day straight I stayed in bed because it was too dangerous to be driving around and on top of that, everyone lost power. So really there was nothing that I could do. I saw my father attempt to go get flash lights and candles but when he came back he said the stores had no power. Being in the hurricane was terrible. Hurricane Sandy ended and things were not the same. After Hurricane Sandy my power came back two days later. I was extremely happy because I was able to watch television and use my computer but not all of Hempstead, where I live, got their power back. Knowing I had power again I decided to drive around and see the damage. I drove into Garden City where it always looked admirable and it was destroyed. In Garden City there were a lot of trees and 75% of them where knocked over because of the winds. The winds were so strong that it pulled the trees right out of the ground, so people were able to see the roots of the trees and the cement getting lifted. I also witnessed trees knocked over into homes and power lines lying on the streets and it was terrible. I drove around some more to see if any store were opened to get some food but everything was closed because of no power. Hurricane Sandy did a lot of damage to Hempstead and no many people in New York and also New Jersey. The experience I had with Hurricane Sandy changed my life it made me more alert to the warnings the news or my parents gave about the storms. Hurricane Sandy left me powerless and incapable of taking care of myself. I learned that I need power to do my daily routines. I need electricity to see in my room because I have only one window and I also need electricity to be able to use my computer and do my homework or assignments for school. Sandy also made me think about all the other people that still had no power for days. The Hurricane left people with no power, heat and some with no homes. It made me think that I was lucky to still have a home with power and heat and I also wanted to help those people. Hurricane Sandy changed affected my life completely. The changes left by Hurricane Sandy made me more alert to storm signs and made me take things not for granted. Hurricane Sandy was devastating to me and others who were affected by it. It left people powerless, without heat and some homeless. Hurricane sandy left me with no power for 3 days and it was terrible. No one is going to forget about Hurricane Sandy, it left a lot of damage to people homes and neighborhoods and lives.

Yannis Sarigiannidis Hicksville, New York

Yannis Sarigiannidis My Journey Through Hurricane Sandy In the past week Hurricane Sandy devastated the east coast. Many people have lost homes, power, and much more. I was one of the many people who have been affected by Sandy’s wrath. When the storm first hit it came quietly to the area I live. It progressively began to get worse as the day turned to night. Power in my home began to flicker on and off until it completely shut off. The tree with the power line for my entire block fell down. A tree in front of my house also fell over during the horrific storm. Fences pieces began to blow away in the back of my house. I for a brief moment I needed to stand out in the storm at its worst so I could move a generator around my house. The winds were howling and intense. Objects were being blown everywhere dangerously. It was dark and raining hard. Being out in the storm was an adrenaline rush. Being out in the storm for only a few brief moments was a freighting experience. The next day my family and I, who thankfully no one was hurt, found the pieces of our fence that blew away and fixed them. We hooked up wires around our home only to discover a gas powered generator can only do so much. So we could only have a few lights, keep the food in our refrigerator cold and watch one TV. Many people also had generators that needed gas, so everyone began to go to gas station. These gas stations began to run out of gas. People waited in line for hours. We barely got enough to fill the generator everyday. Food in our home had to be served cold because we had nothing to cook it on. Mostly sandwiches were eaten, because there was no other way to cook food. A few days later Halloween came around. Many people couldn’t do much because of the devastation. I was able to take my younger sister Trick or Treating around the neiborhood. Many of the streets nearby were blocked off by trees so we could not go very far. People began getting frustrated from the large lines and lack of power. Weeks later power returned in my home. The tree that fell with our power line was finally cleared. Days are getting back to normal. Things are still difficult and will be for a little while longer. Homework has piled up and will get done over time. Repairs will be made eventually. Many people have lost everything they hold dear to them. Nassau Community College has become a shelter for the people now homeless from the storm. Power and clean-up crews are everywhere trying to do what they can. I felt such joy when the crews finally brought power back to the area I live in. It gave back a sense of normalcy. Gas lines are beginning to cut down. Slowly and progressively things are turning normal again. Living through this storm helps teach how to prepare for the next storm. Hopefully everyone’s power will be restored soon, homes will be fixed, and lives will go back to normal. This experience I probably will never forget. This was my journey through Hurricane Sandy.