Vera Pizzo is a resident of Long Branch, New Jersey and has lived in her family home for decades. During Hurricane Sandy, her house was desecrated by the storm, with the sewer waters and the creek just behind her house, overwhelming the inside of the house, causing it to be torn down. In her narrative, she talks about her experiences of being unemployed while trying to rebuild her house and all of the challenges that she confronted. From this, it seems that her work alongside the volunteers that came and worked on her house is the only thing still keeping her afloat to get back her family home.
Long Branch
Finally had a hot cooked meal
William Johnson lives in Ocean Port, New Jersey, and is owner of Scala’s Pizzeria in Long Branch. At the time of Hurricane Sandy, he was a Councilman in Ocean Port. Though his home and business were spared much of the destruction that others have faced, his neighbors and mother-in-law were not as fortunate. In his narrative, William speaks of his experiences during the storm as well as the process of recovery. He is pleased to see how people in the community have pulled together to get through the storm.
Biggest storm ever seen
Adam Schneider is an Attorney at Law and the Mayor of Long Branch, NJ. Worried about the storm, Schneider urged people to evacuate and prepared the town as best he could. During and after the storm he worked closely with OEM, other government offices, and the utility companies. In his narrative, Adam talks about his efforts to help the people of Long Branch to recover from the storm. In particular, he speaks to a very public squabble he had with the power company, JCP&L, in his efforts to have electricity restored.
We are pretty tough people
Jim Gaul is a police officer at Monmouth University who also volunteers as a firefighter in his hometown of Ramtown, New Jersey. Monmouth University was used as a relief shelter for citizens of Monmouth County during and after the storm. Jim worked check-in at the shelter and provided security to keep the growing number of people safe and content. After the shelter closed, Jim aided the Ramtown Fire Company in responding to calls. In this narrative, Jim talks about his experience in the storm, the people he encountered in the shelter, and the fire calls he answered back in his hometown.
Searching for a sense of normalcy
MaryAnn Nagy lives in Eatontown, New Jersey, and is the Vice President of Student Affairs at Monmouth University. The University became a temporary relief shelter for Monmouth County residents during the storm. MaryAnn organized food preparation for the shelter, and she also provided support to the remaining students on campus who were unable to evacuate. In her narrative, she discusses the preparation of the shelter, the challenges she faced in keeping the shelter stocked, and the plans she put into place to keep students safe during the storm.