Superstorm Sandy left millions without power all along Long Island and in Queens, with many residents displaced and seeking solace with friends or family.
At the North Shore Towers, Sandy was no match for the in-house energy, and according to board chair Bob Ricken, nearly 1,000 guests flooded the buildings to take advantage of the Towers’ generators.
“We have no power, the storm was very inconvenient,” said guest Rorri Heller from Woodbury, Long Island, who was staying with her mother Letty Steinberg. “The company here is lovely.”
The storm devastated entire towns, closed schools throughout the region, and left people without heat or lights as the temperatures suddenly plummeted.
“The storm destroyed my friend’s house in Levittown,” said Marion Rose from Dix Hills. As for her own home, she and her daughters were left without power and their street was blocked by a large tree.
While the hundreds of visitors remained without power at home, they enjoyed everything that the Towers has to offer, most notably the indoor pool, gym facilities and of course, a hot shower.
“We just lost electricity, and it’s really cold. I can’t really sleep. It’s more fun here,” said Delli Mizrahi, alongside her mother Daphne, from Syosset. “We’re really lucky because my grandparents just started living here.”
“We have no idea when [the power will come back],” said Stephanie Schwartz, visiting from Searingtown with her four children. “We’ll be here until our power comes back.”
– With additional reporting by Sweetina Kakar
