Bob “Weatherman” Burger is a longtime resident of Point Pleasant, New Jersey. After retiring from the Island Heights Police Department in the 1990s, he focused his energies on a long-time hobby: meteorology. He developed a Facebook page to provide local weather forecasts to Point Pleasant and surrounding communities. During Hurricane Sandy, thousands of citizens from the Jersey Shore relied heavily on for storm related information. A year after the storm, Burger discloses what it was like to be an unsung hero during a time of crisis. Continue Reading
Author Archives: Matthew Bender
It's not what they expected
Lauren Wanko is a reporter for NJTV News, the nightly newscast in New York City and New Jersey. She is also a lifelong New Jersey resident and currently lives in Neptune. As a reporter she covers news stories throughout New Jersey, and she was one of the lead reporters for NJTV News during Superstorm Sandy. Following Sandy, she covered the Seaside Boardwalk fire, and has kept in contact with many victims along the shore. In her narrative, she talks about her experiences reporting on the storm as well as recovery and rebuilding. Continue Reading
When the going gets tough, Union Beach get going
Paul Smith Jr. is mayor of Union Beach, New Jersey, a place he has called home since 1956. This town of just over 6,000 residents experienced some of the worst destruction from Hurricane Sandy. In a span of just 45 minutes, floodwater from the bay washed away 52 homes entirely, 100 made another 100 inhabitable due to being washed off their foundations, and severely damaged another 400 by inundating them with over six feet of water. In his narrative, Paul speaks to the preparations taken before the storm, the damage the town has faced, and the progress that has been made in rebuilding. Continue Reading
You become resilient
Dr. Alan Blumberg is a resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, and is professor of Ocean Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. In his job, he studies hurricanes, storm surges, and climate change. He looks at how these affect people who live on coastlines, and he also studies methods of building resilience for future storms. Dr. Blumberg is the Director of the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens, and he is also the founder of NYHOPS, a system designed to alert the public about upcoming storm surges. In his narrative, he discusses his research as it relates to Hurricane Sandy and the development of weathering technologies. Continue Reading
One of the best things that's happened to me
Tyrone Green, born in London, England, has lived in Hoboken, New Jersey with his wife since 2002. Prior to Hurricane Sandy, he worked in finance for a bank in New York City. As a result of the hurricane and the devastation it inflicted on Hoboken, Tyrone became inspired to leave the financial world and go into business for himself. ‘Dark Side of the Moo,’ his food truck business that features wild game meat, now travels the streets of Hoboken and Jersey City looking for lunch customers. In Green’s narrative, he discusses his experiences during the storm, his change in careers, and the lingering effects the storm on his community. Continue Reading
We weren't going to do well
Louis Amoruso is the Director of Public Works and the Assistant Business Administrator for Toms River Township, New Jersey. As a child, he spent his summers in Ortley Beach at his family’s beach house, and in 1976 they moved down full-time. Since 1989, he has lived across the bay in Toms River. Amaruso’s job placed him at the center of the action during Hurricane Sandy. In preparation for the storm, his crews worked to build up the sand dunes in Ortley Beach and other communities on the barrier islands. During the storm, he organized the rescues of nearly 500 people stranded in homes. In the days after, he helped to orchestrate the removal of debris from Ortley and other heavily affected areas. In his narrative, Amaruso speaks to his experiences, emphasizes the importance of dunes and storm water management, and praises how people came together in a time of need. Continue Reading
Somewhere between depressed and desperate
Al Spangler resides in Seaside Park, New Jersey, where he is Pastor of the Union Church of Seaside Park. During Hurricane Sandy, he remained in his church and watched as the storm brought its fury to the Shore. In the aftermath, he has helped members of his community to find strength in a time of emotional turmoil. In his narrative, he speaks of his experiences during the storm as well as thoughts about the recovery, and he notes that his pastoral responsibilities were both a burden and a blessing during this difficult time. Continue Reading
From New Orleans to New Jersey
Jeremy Nevitt is a recent graduate of The College of New Jersey who lives in Williamstown, New Jersey. An inland town in Gloucester County, Williamstown survived Hurricane Sandy for the most part unscathed. Jeremy’s experience with the storm comes from his volunteer work at the College. As a student he had taken part in several volunteer trips to New Orleans to aid in those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Suddenly, he found himself doing the same kind of work, but in his home state. In his narrative, Jeremy compares and contrasts the damage of the storms as well as response and rebuilding efforts in the two states. Continue Reading
The Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group
Bridget Holmes is the Assistant Executive Director of the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG), which she has worked with since July of 2013. At the time of Hurricane Sandy, she was working as a youth group leader for a parish in Point Pleasant. In the aftermath of the storm, she become involved in recovery efforts, and in July 2013 joined the newly created OCLTRG. As part of that organization, she has been able to utilize her master’s degree and certification in counselling to help over 500 families recover from Hurricane Sandy. In her narrative, she discusses the role of the OCLTRG in the community and the many contributions it has made to people struggling to rebuild their lives. Continue Reading
My kids grew up here
Gina Carey-Smith is a college professor who lives in Florence, New Jersey. For seventeen years, she has owned a small, 400 square foot bungalow in Seaside Park, two blocks from the ocean and four blocks from the bay. Hurricane Sandy wiped out the little beach home, causing so much damage that it needed to be leveled and rebuilt. However, since it was considered a ‘second home,’ and since Gina owned the house but not the land on which it sat, she was both unable to have flood insurance and could not get help from FEMA. Unable to afford reconstruction, she was forced to sell for a fraction of its value. In this narrative, Gina talks about how has dealt with losing a summer home that held 14 years of childhood memories for her kids. Continue Reading