A year ago, weather forecasters were predicting that a hurricane would hit the Eastern Seaboard. While they knew that she was coming in strong–predicting that it would be one of the largest storm systems to ever hit the American mainland, no one could believe the utter devastation Sandy left, most notably in New York and New Jersey. A year after Super Storm Sandy, parts of the country are still left in devastation. This Trending News Monday, we’ll look to see how some towns most affected by the storm are recovering.
Staten Island, New York
Last year, over 75,000 Staten Island residents were affected by the storm. When Sandy hit New York, she took a path through Staten Island’s Oakwood Beach neighborhood–completely dismantling houses. After deeming the coastal neighborhood unsafe for housing, the State of New York will purchase 400 Oakwood Beach home at pre-storm value. While nothing can replace the personal value of a home, the offers are blessings to some as others who have been affected by Sandy have yet to receive anything from their insurance companies or the government. Some of those who have received assistance are still struggling with the added costs of flood insurance and bringing their homes above sea level.
Ellis Island, New York
Ellis Island finally opened its doors today for the first time since Sandy hit last October. What used to be the first stop European Immigrants made in the United States is now one of New York’s most famous tourist attractions. After the storm hit, the island was left powerless for months, and some even predicted that Ellis Island would not open to the public this year. While the complete restoration isn’t scheduled for completion until May 2014, today (the 127th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty) visitors can explore the main floor and the great hall of the former federal immigration processing station. Liberty Island–home of Lady Liberty–also sustained significant damage during the super storm, but reopened to the public on July 4.
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Perhaps one of the most memorable post-Sandy scenes is that of the famous Seaside Heights boardwalk in ruins. Sandy washed much of the boardwalk away, leaving some of New Jersey’s biggest tourist attractions like the roller coaster sitting in the Ocean. Because Seaside Heights was heavily devastated by the storm and the state’s economy depends heavily on borough, New Jersey has focused a lot of the aid on New Jersey. However, a fire last month set back much of the progress that had been made over the past year and, in some cases, left the boardwalk in a worse state than Sandy did. So even though a year has passed since the super storm, Seaside Heights is still at ground zero.
See the video below for a deeper look at the Sandy recovery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu4fDq7jTeY
Cover Photo Source: Felix Lipov
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Cassandra-Bremer-Our-Space-Photo-e1402061863316.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Cassandra is a Content Manager and Developer at SJG. She earned her BA from Fontbonne University in 2011. Outside the office, she enjoys an active, healthy and well-rounded lifestyle including reading, writing, running, golfing, watching films, listening to music, taking photographs, and consuming media and social media.[/author_info] [/author]