TCNJ | Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project

"There were hurricanes, but this was the one that kinda put it all in perspective. Nothing even came close. It was shocking to know that the Atlantic Ocean is in your living room."

Stephen Schneider

Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey

"Everywhere you looked it was a major catastrophe. But we made lemons out of lemonade. We put Humpty Dumpty back together again."

William Gehlhaus

Keansburg, New Jersey

"We just couldn’t get back into town, the water was just coming and coming. A very disheartening feeling. You go through your whole career wanting to help people. It wasn’t easy."

John Barcus

Mantoloking, New Jersey

"It is kind of frustrating. We just hear them saying ‘The shore’s back, the shore’s great!’ Everything at the shore, it’s not back."

Brian Garofalo

Seaside Heights, New Jersey

"If the impact is five feet of water coming into your house, quite frankly you should not worry whether it’s being caused by a hurricane, a nor’easter, or the Martians. You should worry that there is five feet of water that could be in your house."

Gary Szatkowski

Mount Holly, New Jersey

"This was the big one. There were times when people felt like they cried wolf. This was definitely wolf. It was really our worst nightmare come true."

Jane Marion

Normandy Beach, New Jersey

“We had a zombie walk last week in Seaside. We carried a sign that said, ‘Not even Sandy can keep us down, The Ultimate Scholar II, back from the dead and after you.’”

Toms River, New Jersey

Nicki Cordi

"We had a lot of damage to the natural infrastructure, the dune systems. That is okay…that’s the way it’s supposed to work."

Ray Bukowski

Island Beach State Park, New Jersey

Welcome to the Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to hit the United States, and perhaps the most destructive to target New Jersey. It is estimated to have caused over $30 billion in damage, taken at least 37 lives, and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. No event in recent history has caused as much disruption to life and livelihood in the state.

The Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project aims to preserve the memories of people whose lives have been affected by the storm and its aftermath. Developed by an undergraduate history course - HIS 464 Hurricane Sandy Oral History Seminar - the Project is course-based and student-driven, a reflection of TCNJ's commitment to community engagement, undergraduate research, and personalized, collaborative education.

On this website, you will find narratives drawn from these interviews. They are individual stories about Hurricane Sandy, in the very words of the people who experienced them. We hope that these stories will draw attention to how Hurricane Sandy has transformed the lives of a wide range of people in the State of New Jersey. We also hope they will serve as a testament to the spirit of the Jersey Shore, and a reminder that the recovery process is far from over.

We are posting new narratives daily. Please visit again to read more stories!