The day of Hurricane Sandy I was volunteering with Cecelia Frontero, Occupy Sandy and the Hartsdale Fire Department on Midland Avenue in Staten Island. We met at St. Jacobi Lutheran Church in Brooklyn to gather up supplies where donations were dropped off here by the public. More clothing than could be distributed was dropped off.

We came to help out those who were affected by one of the worse storms on record.

According to Wikipedia, Super Storm Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second-costliest hurricane in United States history. Classified as the eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year, Sandy was a Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in Cuba. While it was a Category 2 storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km)). Estimates as of 2015 assessed damage to have been about $75 billion (2012 USD), a total surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina. At least 233 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries.

In case you can’t make it out, it’s a boat on it’s side down a street off Father Capodanno Blvd. near Sand Lane about a week after Hurricane Sandy Hit the northeast coast of the United States.

Near Graham Blvd off Fr. Capodanno Blvd on Staten Island sections of sidewalk caving in.

The water line can be seen in this photo of a house near Buel Ave. on Staten Island about one week after Super Storm Sandy.

According to Wikipedia:

In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. Its storm surge hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. Damage in the United States amounted to $71.4 billion (2013 USD).

The next section of photographs are coming up to Kissam Ave, on Staten Island, one of the worst hit areas by Hurricane Sandy.

Piles and piles of donated clothing sitting out in the rain. More clothing was donated that could be used and or distributed. I made a call to Occupy Sandy at one of the local hubs nearby letting them know about the clothes. In a few hours, all those clothes were removed and taken to the local Occupy Sandy station.

Grace Bible Church on the other corner of Mill Rd and Guyon Ave. where people in need to come and pick up donations and supplies.

One house on Kissam Ave. off Mill Rd.

Out front of another house as we made out way down Kissam Ave. owners had taken all their destroyed belongings onto the front yard.

Franka, who gave me a tour of her gutted house at 14 Kissam Ave. who has been living there since 2006. She told me she walked her dogs down by the beach at 5pm and it was high tide then. She said she knew the water was going to be “Up to here”, putting her hand just below shoulder level Sunday when they were told to evacuate at 4pm.

Franka told me she didn’t want to believe it but, “I knew I had to leave. I’m very spiritual and I saw a dove in a tree which I saw as a sign that my house was going to be ok”.

She realized the dove was more of a sign to leave and everything would be OK.

Franka took me next door to the neighbors house who were not home. This is November 16th of 2012 with the refrigerator still lifted off the floor.

The rest of that same kitchen above. The floor still wet and dirty with kids toys scattered about.

Making my way further down Kissam Ave towards the beach:

32 Kissam Ave. Staten Island November 16th 2012.

This house was completely missing off it’s foundation.

At the very end of Kissam Ave. a dead end street.

The top of one house blown completely off.

All one’s personal possessions strewn all over by the force of the storm.

24 people died on Staten Island from Hurricane Sandy.

Photos after Hurricane Sandy Brooklyn, October 30, 2012

The day after Hurricane Sandy I walked by Shore Rd past the Verrazano bridge along the waterfront and found the devastation that nature can do. Here are a few photos I took.

Section of path between the VA hospital and the Verrazano bridge.

Water that had washed away the soil underneath the concrete steps at 14th Ave.

Looking out towards Bay Parkway.

A tree over by Poly Prep School past the VA hospital in Brooklyn.

Gas station on the corner of 92nd St and 7th Ave by the entrance to the Verrazano bridge.