Politics & Government

Kopel: Community Stronger Six Months After Sandy

Legislator reflects on the aftermath of the storm.

This op-ed was written and submitted to Patch by Nassau County Legislator Howard J. Kopel

Moving around each day after the storm, seeing the waterlogged debris covering the streets of the communities I represent was simply heartbreaking. The level of destruction and misery only grew as the sun set, enveloping whole neighborhoods in an uneasy darkness.

Sandy’s immense surge also sent a nine-foot wall of seawater over Nassau County’s primary sewage treatment plant in Bay Park, disabling critical pumping equipment, and causing major damage to the plant’s electrical power system. This resulted in still more misery, as thousands suffered the indignity of coping with sewage backing up into their homes and neighborhoods.

LIPA’s inexcusable failure to anticipate and prepare for Sandy remains among my most enduring issues, now that the immediate physical effects of the storm have subsided for many people. There can never be a way to explain or justify LIPA keeping millions of electric customers in the dark for weeks or even months; and proving unable or unwilling to provide accurate, timely information as to when we would finally see relief and restoration of power.

There were bright spots, too:

  • Foremost was the Herculean storm response led by James Vilardi, of Sanitary District 1 in the Five Towns. The tireless work and good cheer of the Sanitary District’s rank and file did more than provide a vital, well-executed service; it became a source of hope and renewal to counter the despair. Unlike may other affected areas; the streets of this District were quickly and efficiently cleared of huge mounds of debris. These efforts resulted in a small, but important measure of normalcy amid all of the suffering.
  • The dedication of our first responders was simply amazing. Our volunteer firefighters and the police literally saved lives, and helped displaced people, even putting their own, equally pressing circumstances on the back burner.
  • Another wonderful recollection of the storm was that with daylight on Tuesday, a spontaneous outburst of compassion and generosity swept the hardest hit communities of my district. From Oceanside to Island Park, East Rockaway, Bay Park, Meadowmere, and all corners of the Five Towns, neighbors, friends, families, and strangers extended help in the form of clothing, food, money, manpower, and optimism.
  • The efforts of local officials to restore services, despite the immense hurdle of not having electricity was wonderful, as temporary measures restored operations at Bay Park, and other critical infrastructure.

I feel blessed to have been able to work alongside some of the most dedicated, selfless people I could ever hope to meet or represent. My awe for the many faith-based and nonprofit organizations in my district, which stepped forward to administer aid, distribute goods, and comfort every person in their reach, is an unforgettable silver lining to Sandy’s otherwise impenetrable storm clouds.

My office alone received nearly 3,000 calls for help from constituents affected by Sandy; my colleagues at other levels of government or municipalities report similar numbers. I am very grateful for and proud of my staff, which worked alongside with me days, nights, weekends, and holidays to respond and initiate assistance as immediately as possible.

It’s been six months and the calls continue, though the nature of these calls keep shifting to match the evolving Sandy-recovery needs of my constituents. The spectrum progressed from battle mode — attending to one crisis after another with LIPA, National Grid, sanitation, dangling wires, sewerage, homelessness, the Branch Boulevard roadway collapse, local policing, restoring home heating, and more recently, unraveling knotty problems caused by FEMA bureaucracy, flood insurance, tax assessments, contractor fraud, government red tape, and more.

The road to recovery is long, and we still have some way to go before we reach our destination. But I believe we will, and sooner than some are predicting. Our communities may never be the same, but including in some good ways. After decades of warnings that “we’re due,” the “big one” finally came, and it went; and we’re still here.

We know to work harder to prepare for these events. We understand that if it happened once, it can happen again. But today, and going forward, I can see that our communities have become and I know they will remain stronger, closer, and better in every important way.

If you have any Sandy-related issues, please feel free to contact my office anytime at (516) 571-6207.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here