Forgotten by FEMA: Staten Island's Sandy victims vent over lack of aid

Adopt a Hurricane Sandy Family – In Association With The Recovery Registry

[link to docs.google.com (secure)]

Hurricane Sandy survivor determined to rebuild Staten Island home

Since Hurricane Sandy destroyed her Staten Island home a week and a half ago. Phyllis Puglia has returned every day to the area where she used to live.

“Everybody understands we’re homeless,” Puglia told NBC News’ Ann Curry. “You know, you’re homeless in the place you love. You’re homeless where your family is… You know, you build memories there. You build a life there and that’s what ripped my heart apart, you know? Because I loved my home that much.”

Puglia is one of the estimated 40,000 newly homeless in New York because of Sandy. She and her husband have lived on Staten Island, just a 25-minute ferry ride from Manhattan, for 25 years.

With the flood waters receded, Puglia has returned to the site where her belongings are scattered every day, but the journey hasn’t gotten any easier.

“Every time I come here for the first time, I can’t breathe, you know. And I start to cry and then I say, you know, ‘Shut off and just do the job. Do what you got to do,’” Puglia said.

Read the rest of her story here:

[link to rockcenter.nbcnews.com]

Friday Staten Island Volunteering

FRIDAY VOLUNTEER REQUESTS

Click here:

[link to statenisland.recovers.org (secure)]

Romney would give them aid.

Just what do you expect from FEMA? Con Ed has to finish repairs a d Sanitation has to clean up. The only remaining mission is submit whatever forms are necessary to put in claims for insurance and FEMA, plus amended tax returns for loses in TY 2011 (not a typo) and find somewhere else to live. If your house is unlivable and you had no insurance .... It's over ... move on ... you gambled and lost ... maybe in a few years you will be able to sell the land ... Look at it this way - as undeveloped property , you will be paying less property taxes on it until then.

Just what do you expect from FEMA? Con Ed has to finish repairs a d Sanitation has to clean up. The only remaining mission is submit whatever forms are necessary to put in claims for insurance and FEMA, plus amended tax returns for loses in TY 2011 (not a typo) and find somewhere else to live. If your house is unlivable and you had no insurance .... It's over ... move on ... you gambled and lost ... maybe in a few years you will be able to sell the land ... Look at it this way - as undeveloped property , you will be paying less property taxes on it until then.