Sandy Wipes Out New York Community

Members of the Breezy Point community in a remote area of New York City sift through the remains of their homes, after superstorm Sandy devastated the area. Sarah Charlton reports.

Published

7 months ago

Categories

US

Topics

United States

People

Sarah Charlton, Pat Cannon

Places

New York City

Transcript

Scenes of devastation in New York City, where dozens of homes were reduced to ashes by a fire that erupted during superstorm Sandy. Residents of Breezy Point were left sifting through the rubble on Wednesday (October 31), after the blaze tore through some 50 homes. The beach-front area was already submerged in floodwater when the fire erupted. Pat Cannon said her house was lifted off its foundations and moved 25 meters by a massive tidal surge. SOUNDBITE: PAT CANNON, BREEZY POINT RESIDENT, SAYING (English): "In 22 years living here, I never had a drop of water in my house. Never, nothing. What was the last one? Irene: we packed everything and left anyway, you know. This time I did not pack as much as I usually do, which is why I lost everything." The authorities were on hand to help residents evacuate Breezy Point after salvaging belongings. Sandy was one of the biggest storms to ever hit America and affected millions of people across the east coast. Officials say it could take weeks and billions of dollars to clear damaged areas.