Sandy’s Aftermath In Woodhaven
Woodhaven, though it took a beating from Hurricane Sandy, is counting its blessings right now. Compared to some of our neighbors, we fared well.
Breezy Point looks like a war zone, with dozens of houses lost to fire—including that of our congressman, Bob Turner. In Belle Harbor, too, fires destroyed numerous homes. Broad Channel reportedly suffered devastating flooding. We’ve seen worrying reports from Lindenwood, Howard Beach, and all over the Rockaway Peninsula. And beyond, we’ve heard about inundated tunnels, a crane collapse, hospital evacuations, and a crippled transit system. Over a dozen people lost their lives in New York, and millions are without electricity.
Elsewhere in this newspaper, you can read the details of what Queens has been going through.
In Woodhaven, we’re dealing with about two dozen large trees that have fallen, in several cases on cars or houses. In many cases, the trees were totally uprooted. Downed power lines, a few fallen utility poles,
sporadic electrical outages, and a few
blocked streets are the bulk of the
damage to our neighborhood.
Perhaps most strikingly, our
beloved Christmas tree at the corner
of Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue
has fallen. The tree has been
rated one of the top holiday trees in
the city, and every year around the
holidays,Woodhaven gathers at Forest
Parkway Plaza for the tree lighting.
Local schoolchildren make
ornaments and hang them on the tree.
We’re sad to have lost this Woodhaven
icon.
A tree also fell on the Forest Park
Carousel, damaging the roof but leaving
the actual ride unscathed. The
carousel had just closed for the season,
and we look forward to seeing it
as good as new next year.
Sanitation crews responded
quickly to clear fallen trees blocking
parts of Woodhaven Boulevard,
which is a major thoroughfare and
emergency route.
Woodhaven was exposed to dangerous
conditions. The cars that were
crushed, the houses that sustained
thousands of dollars of damage, and
the power lines dangling onto the
street are ample evidence of that.
Many in our neighborhood have been
inconvenienced by Hurricane Sandy.
But we are thankful not to have
received word of any injuries in
Woodhaven.
was in touch with one friend
from Howard Beach told me about
how everything on the first floor of
her home was ruined by flooding.
Another friend from Breezy Point
was unsure whether his house survived.
It underscored how lucky we
in Woodhaven are.
The Woodhaven Residents’ Block
Association managed to keep track of
the damage in the neighborhood
through our “block captains” program—
a network of point people
throughout the neighborhood who
monitor the situation on their blocks
and provide updates to the WRBA.
We also used Facebook and Twitter
to alert neighbors to important
news. We instructed our community
to use 311, not 911, for non-emergency
calls. And we relayed a call
for volunteers to work at an emergency
evacuation center and shelter
at Franklin K. Lane High School.
By the time you read this, cleanup—
and, in some cases, reconstruction—
will be underway throughout
New York City. We are grateful to
the many first responders who put
themselves at risk to serve or rescue
those in need. We appreciate the efforts
of the many other city, state, and
federal personnel, as well as numerous
volunteers, who are working to
get New York back on its feet.
And our thoughts are with those
who fared much worse than we in
Woodhaven did.
Editor’s note: Blenkinsopp is a
member of Community Board 9 and
director of communications for the
Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.
For more information on the
WRBA, visit www.woodhaven-nyc.org.
