Hurricane Sandy hurdled through the East Coast on Monday, Oct. 29, hitting major locations such as New York City and Manhattan and devastatingly taking 74 American lives along with it. The citizens who faced tragedy are on their way to revitalization, but the wounds have not fully healed.
The East Coast felt the hurricane’s fury rushing towards the inhabitants at 80 miles per hour, leaving 8 million people without power and with flooded streets. The violent storm sunk cars, destroyed homes, and claimed lives.
A former New Yorker, Alex Cruz, who now resides in California, was startled to see her hometown flooded and brutally damaged.
“I turned on the T.V. and I couldn’t believe it,” Cruz said, “It was so scary because I know people who live there, but I’m a little relieved because they’re getting help.”
The victims were not left to battle the destruction on their own. The public sprang into action as well; a telethon was held by television networks such as NBC, Bravo, E!, and other major broadcasting channels in order to help the victims of Sandy. The collected funds were donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.
Brenda Henriquez, a local, shared her reaction regarding the death count, and was devastated with the news.
“The whole thing is just sad,” Henriquez said, “Too many lives were taken, but New Yorkers are strong and they’ll get through it.”
The East Coasters are now fully back in action; busy streets are once again flooded with people, and students are returning to school after a week of cancellation due to safety precautions. City folks still face obstacles during their daily routine such as gasoline shortage, and problems regarding public transportation.
President Barack Obama shared his thoughts when visiting on the recovery of the victims affected by the tragedy.
“I’m confident that we will continue to make progress as long as state and local and federal officials stay focused,” The President said.
The Caribbean was also dealt catastrophic cards, leaving 65 people without life. The majority of the loss came from Haiti, with a death toll of 56. The storm ransacked the country, leaving only remnants of collapsed bridges, inundated homes, and banana crops completely destroyed. Cuba and the Dominican Republic faced similar tragedies and towns greatly suffered.
Although many are taking the initiative to rescue the East Coasters, the victims themselves are uniting as one, and fighting to recover through this disastrous event.
