Along the beachfront in New York’s Rockaways, the raw wounds from Hurricane Sandy are still visible.
Almost every home on the narrow strip of land was at least damaged during the storm three months ago. Today, the community prepared for what is now being called a “monster blizzard.”
In addition to more than a foot of snow in New York City, the forecast called for 50 to 60 m.p.h. winds, high tides, flooding and power outages — quite a staggering blow for an area still suffering from Mother Nature’s last wallop.
“How many ‘storms of the century’ can you have in six months?” resident Larry Racioppo said.
Sheila Forsmythe, whose house sits right on the water, said her home had flooded up to the second floor during Sandy, forcing her out for six weeks. This time, she planned to stay put.
“It’s a little disheartening that we’re just getting hit and hit and hit,” she told ABC News. “But this is the Rockaways.”
With the storm closing in today, the Sandy veterans scrambled for provisions.
For Lisa Jackson, who was buying ice and gasoline for her generator, it was a lesson she learned the hard way and did not intend to repeat.
“I was prepared for three or four days,” she said regarding the aftermath of Sandy. “I wasn’t prepared for a month.”
But in the Rockaways, getting the provisions remains difficult. Only a few gas stations have reopened since Sandy. The one big supermarket is still closed. The one subway line is not up and running yet and won’t be until summer.
Rose Mary Greany admitted she’s weather-weary: “My brother called me this morning and said, ‘What’s next? Pestilence?’”