Tag Archives: new york city

Thanksgiving Feast in Rockaway during Hurricane Sandy Relief

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Yesterday, residents and volunteering occupants of Rockaway Park in Queens NYC gathered at hurricane relief hubs to share Thanksgiving dinner with one another. Here’s video of the afternoon feast, the solar arrays powering the event, and some speeches from organizers and residents:

Despite conditions that still feel alien—sand and dust and rubble under the brilliant sun—the community feasted away on turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes at a gathering powered by solar electricity and human determination. Continue reading →

You Are Not Alone – PHOTO ESSAY from Hurricane Sandy Relief

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Posted on behalf of Luan “Jonathan” Dong, who is attending graduate school at George Washington University and interning for Greenpeace in Washington, DC.

When you tell your family in China that you are going to the United States for a Master’s degree, or tell your friends that you are going to New York City, you would never imagine end up being here.

Here is Rockaway Park, Queens, New York City. Assumed by many people to be full of summer resorts, Rockaway in fact has a significant portion of impoverished or isolated, if not homeless, residents. More shocking is the scene that greeted us: a scene of total devastation.
This is nothing like the New York City that I knew of, nor does it resemble any part of the United States that I have ever been. Rockaway Beach has been mostly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. And before Rockaway residents could even catch their breath, a Nor’easter was already here to add insult to injury. The storms have left many people dependent on incoming aid for food and provisions.

October 2012 Photo of the Month

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People look at the burned out ruins of the Breezy Point neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This photo, one of an incredible set of images showing the devastation of one of the most populous areas of the United States by Tim Aubry, is the October 2012 Greenpeace USA Photo of the Month.

Breezy Point Ruins

The ruins of homes in Breezy Point after Hurricane Sandy

 

I chose this image for the way it illustrates the human impact of the disaster. Shot across the grid of streets, groups of people, perhaps families, inspect the ruins of a modest neighborhood obliterated by the powerful storm. Whole buildings were knocked off their foundations releasing gas which ignited leaving blackened trees and poles where wood frame houses stood.

Continue reading →

The Sun Shined Upon Hurricane Relief Work in Rockaway Park Today

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HELP WITH SUPERSTORM SANDY RELIEF in ROCKAWAY PARK: www.RockawayHelp.com

I cannot get my nose to stop running…

But in the full context of hurricane Sandy relief efforts here in the Rockaways of Queens, New York City, a runny nose doesn’t matter one bit. This incredible video shows why:

My runny nose indicates a major improvement from yesterday–we’re not caught in a slushy blizzard. All this junk floating in the air was suppressed by yesterday’s rain and snow. I’m allergic to dust, and there’s more dust and debris here than anywhere I’ve ever been. Continue reading →

Resilience from Rockaway Residents as Sandy Relief is Interrupted by Nor’Easter

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It’s cold and wet and hectic here in the Rockaway penninsula of Queens, New York City. Disaster relief efforts from hurricane Sandy are being interrupted by a Nor’easter storm that is now rolling in. As I type, the rain is transitioning to snow and word has it that the National Guard and the Red Cross are pulling out.

Snow is starting to collect on the rubble of collapsed buildings in Rockaway, NY.

While much of the country is focused on the outcome of the election, residents of Rockaway NY are buttoning up their coats, grabbing provisions and either buckling down or evacuating. Again.

That is, the folks who are aware that this storm is coming in. Not everybody is aware that an evacuation order is in place, and not everybody is willing or able to leave. Stranded residents are a major concern here right now. When Sandy trashed the area last week, some nursing homes along the beach were ordered not to evacuate, something fellow residents are feeling sore about as they look out for one another.

Enduring Sandy: A United Community Faces Challenges Head On

Despite miserable weather in the disaster zone and an ongoing lack of basic conveniences, I have seen incredible resilience from residents and relief volunteers in the Rockaways. Continue reading →

Romney Wants to Play Dodge Ball in a Hurricane

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For the second time today, Mitt Romney dodged a question about Hurricane Sandy and climate change.

After standing by as his supporters drowned out a question about climate change with chants of “USA! USA!”, Mitt Romney was confronted again at a rally today in Virginia about his climate silence. An audience member on the rope line asked Mitt Romney “Given Hurricane Sandy, how would you address climate change as president?”

The opportunity to connect the dots was there for the second time today, but once again Romney dodged. Continue reading →

“If You See Something, Say Something”

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Who has been waiting for a train, plane, or a bus and heard that? Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano hopes that you all have.

Tuesday morning aboard the new Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace launched a new online map that allows communities to see for the first time whether they live in the vulnerability zone of one of 483 high risk chemical plants, and then it allows them to say something to President Obama. Each of the plants puts 100,000 or more people at risk of a poison gas disaster by accident or terrorist attack.  All together that’s more than 110 million people, or 1 in 3 Americans. Continue reading →