Sheryl Remembers Sandy

Sheryl Braxton is a long-time Red Hook resident, and 14 years after Hurricane Sandy, she looked back at the work she did in the neighborhood in the aftermath of Sandy.

Braxton, who moved to Red Hook when she was four, worked to ensure that the community is prepared and never goes through another experience like Sandy again.

“I was young when we moved to Red Hook, so I grew up here,” Braxton said. “I had a good childhood, and my mother helped me out with everything. I had everything I needed. Things were very different then from today. There were black and white televisions, no cellphones, things were a lot cheaper, and people were more social. It felt like there were more people that you could count on. We had more support within the community.”

Following the hurricane, Braxton pushed for more resources and help for the community than Red Hook initially received.

“I first knew that I needed to help after Sandy when the army people showed up, and they were giving out food, but it was this tiny plastic bag,” Braxton said. “I knew it wasn’t enough food. I decided to get a few people together to get people things that would help them out while the electricity was out. It was me, Wally Bazemore, Carlos Menchaca, Judith Dailey, and Marilyn. We formed a nonprofit organization for Sandy. We were making sure we held NYCHA accountable in a way that was acceptable for the residents.”

During the hurricane, Braxton was shocked by how high the water was—she could see cars floating around. Her car was also damaged by the flooding. She also saw a massive tree fall down from her window.

“The day after Sandy, we were all really hurt and angry,” Braxton said. “People didn’t know who to look to and rely on. Living in the Red Hook projects, you don’t expect to get a lot of help. So after that, the five of us started holding meetings with NYCHA, and they were talking about a timeline of a year, and we wanted to hold them accountable and make progress faster.”

Braxton and the other people she worked with went to the media to let them know how hurt the community was and what they needed. After that, they were able to get more supplies, including flashlights and blankets. She also credited her friend and neighbor, Freddy, for doing a lot of work to help the community after Sandy.

“Red Hook Initiative, the Miccio Center, and even IKEA started to give things out, so things were starting to look up for us,” Braxton said. “People were supporting us and giving us food, batteries, and more. They also gave us temporary boilers for heat. Even restaurants that weren’t from here came out here to give us food.

“I was confronting people from NYCHA and CEOs, and rallying to make sure we held everyone accountable. I was tired from running around from meeting to meeting, and the meetings were packed. It wasn’t just residents; it was the tenant association president, the seniors, the NYCHA CEO. After about a month and a half or two months, the lights and the heat came back on, and we all said ‘Thank God.’ It was so cold and terrible for those months. I had to sleep with so many blankets those days.”

After the electricity came back on, there were smaller turnouts for the meetings, but Braxton continued to go and push for measures to prevent something like this from happening again.

“Right now, 14 years later, FEMA stepped in, and they’ve rebuilt Red Hook so that if there is another hurricane, it won’t be like Sandy,” Braxton said. “They’ll be more prepared for it. By the end of the meetings after Sandy, I was stressed, and I was tired, but I also felt relief. I felt happy that the group of us were able to work together to help the community.”