As our area continues to cope with the severe aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it was moving to see a photo of volunteer firefighters raising our flag in battered Breezy Point.
It brought tears to my eyes. We have all been affected by the rage of this brutal monster from the tropics, but as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, President Barack Obama and many others have stated, “We will recover and rebuild even stronger and better than before.”
As a lifelong Fresh Meadows resident who has experienced many storms of various magnitudes, I can honestly say I have never seen such widespread destruction of trees. They lined our streets for years, but suddenly, in one day, thousands of them were laid low.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people who lost their lives in the storm, as well as their families. Also, let us be grateful to our firefighters, police officers, EMTs and medical personnel, as well as ordinary people who have pitched in to rescue and help those who were trapped by flooding and whose homes were destroyed or damaged.
We must also give a word of grateful thanks to the news media and all the reporters and their crews who brought us the images of the devastation as it was unfolding and the television and radio meteorologists who did a superb job of keeping us informed of the storm’s every move.
I am proud to be a New Yorker and an American. God bless the citizens of our city and country.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
