These are just a tiny amount of the damage still left by Hurricane Sandy. This is so devastating to me.
Driving around my beloved island on vacation, the stories I heard going
in were so positive. So uplifting. Then I get on-island and the mood
changed. Getting groceries locals tell me about developers pushing them
out. Insurance companies refusing to pay. Construction crews charging
inflated rates to do repairs and put houses on pylons. The entire south
end of the island is devastated. Million dollar homes just rotting in
mold and salt water. Then there are the small homes, generational home
owners. These are the ones that break my heart, because they are the
ones that can least afford it. Entire first floors decimated and they
are unable to rebuild, because after demolition they are told "raise
your house or pay and extra $8000 a year on property insurance." Oh and
the property taxes on them all went up. But they can't even live in
their homes or visit them safely. Jersey Strong? IDK? Jersey SAD!
