When Sandy’s historic surge hit Red Hook three years ago, Alexandros Washburn stayed put in his Van Brunt Street row house. He didn’t stay because of blind pride or a delusion of safety. Rather, he stayed to learn. As he watched the storm leak through his roof and flood his ground floor with three feet of filthy water, he took note […]
Sandy Related
City Comptroller calls Build It Back “a case study in dysfunction”, by George Fiala
In June, 2014, at a meeting at PS 15, Amy Peterson, Mayor de Blasio’s head of the Build It Back program, spoke to residents about the Build It Back program. We wrote at the time: “New York City’s answer to the major damage from Hurricane Sandy was meant to offer millions of dollars of assistance to families and businesses reconstructing […]
Our Sandy memories – Kimberly Gail Price & George Fiala
The second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy is just about upon us. Many of our readers are intimately and painfully aware of these images. We are grateful for all the recovery work that has occurred in the past two years, and all that continues. We share these photos with all our readers in mind. – George & Kimberly
PortSide NewYork & other hidden Sandy Stories, by Portside
This story was written collaboratively by the PortSide team Dan Goncharoff, Peter Rothenberg, Carolina Salguero and John Weaver. Andrea Sansom provided recommendations about the overall message and editing advice. PortSide NewYork has been invited by the Red Hook Star Revue to tell our Sandy story, a story largely hidden, like so many in Red Hook. We believe our story offers […]
Ready Red Hook Day binds community, by Keith Klein
On October 29th 2012, Superstorm Sandy decimated the neighborhood, with over 6,000 residents losing power for 3 weeks. There was catastrophic flooding everywhere. The financial destruction caused by Sandy has only been surpassed on a per capita basis by that of Hurricane Katrina. While the forces of Mother Nature can’t be controlled, it does not mean people shouldn’t plan for future […]
Artisan to Entrepreneur graduates speak, by George Fiala
On September 8th, ten local business owners gathered at Atelier Roquette for a graduation ceremony. They were all members of what all agreed was a tremendous learning experience. For many, it was an emotional experience as well, as they got to know their fellow merchants even better, as well as understanding what made them tick, and how they could further […]
Red Hook Volunteers in a fix, by Diehl Edwards
The Red Hook Volunteers (RHV) have played a crucial role in the recovery efforts since Sandy. The group originated as committed individuals who came to Red Hook to help after the storm. They helped coordinate the flood of volunteers who came from all over to help. But nearly two years after, the Volunteers are fighting to keep their doors open. […]
Red Hook Rising Update by the Red Hook Rising Committee, by Gita Nandan, Co-Chair
Over the past year a committee of local residents was formed to work with the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery to create a road to recovery post-Sandy. Red Hook was selected as one of ten NYC neighborhoods to participate in the NY Rising Community Reconstruction program. The goal was to create a plan that will help foster a more sustainable […]
Sandy recovery topic of community meeting at PS 15, by Harrison Neuhaus
On the evening of Wednesday, June 25, city officials and Red Hook locals met in P.S. 15 for a meeting on Hurricane Sandy recovery progress. Sponsored by City Councilman Carlos Menchaca, the meeting was called mainly to inform citizens about the status of programs like Build it Back, and the city’s investments in future disaster prevention. The school’s gym was […]
Red Hook Coalition Finalizes Long-Term Community Recovery Plan, by Harrison Neuhaus
On the evening of Monday, June 23, roughly 30 Red Hook residents, community organizers, and politicians met at the Miccio Center to discuss progress on the Long-Term Community Recovery Plan. This project, funded by the Red Hook Coalition, has the goal of of producing a localized strategy to be put into place for the first 72 hours of a disaster. […]
Oversight meeting uncovers mold and money shortages, by George Fiala
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer brought his traveling Sandy Oversight show to the auditorium of PS 15 Tuesday evening. Flanked by three of his deputies, by Councilman Carlos Menchaca and by the Mayor’s director of Housing Recovery, Amy Peterson, Stringer announced that he was in Red Hook to listen. This was not to be a normal feel-good town meeting Two lines were […]
The Red Hook Coalition – non profits working for the community, by George Fiala
The roots of the Red Hook Coalition may be said to lie at the ornate Atlantic Avenue building that today houses Trader Joes. For many years that building was the home of the main branch of the Brooklyn’s Independence Savings Bank. A bank moves to Red Hook Back in 1997, a local committee spearheaded by activist Wally Bazemore, was successful […]
Sandy brings state money to Red Hook for local improvements, by George Fiala
At a January 6 committee meeting for the Red Hook portion of NY Rising, almost 100 potential Sandy-related projects were discussed. The meeting took place at PS 15 and was attended by a host of consultants, committee members and other interested parties. The committee is headed by Gita Nandan, a local architect representing the Red Hook community, and Kate Collignon, […]
