Greetings from Statin [sic] Island, Epilogue

A New York subway sign, found at the Davis residence
during clean up on November 27, 2012.

Many families on Staten Island continue to struggle two months after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. Unlike the Davis family, some don't have an another home to take refuge in while FEMA, the city and the insurance companies decide what the future holds for their properties. They are forced to live out the winter inside their battered homes. Already, they are dealing with snow, wind and the cold. Christmas and the New Year probably do not hold much promise for them.

A group of experts led by Housing and Urban Development chief Shaun Donovan met in Lower Manhattan on December 13 to discuss the broader picture that New York City and all coastal communities must address.

According to an article published in The Atlantic Cities, Donovan emphasized disaster mitigation to protect coastal inhabitants:

'This type of more thoughtful planning process ensures that we ask ourselves, Can we rebuild what was here before? And more importantly, should we?' said Donovan. 'These questions are not just complicated from a construction and planning point of view. They cut to the heart of how we define [our] communities and what gives us a sense of place.... We need to harness this momentum to address weaknesses we've known about for years. We have to recognize that homes that wash away and substations in flood zones must become a thing of the past.'

Are we ready to make these types of difficult decisions? And will the momentum continue, or will it get buried under different disasters and other headlines?

One final point. I want to note that Staten Islanders are incredibly warm and funny (Tom and Barbara Omholt are Exhibit A). Their sense of humor and companionship with one another could go a long way to helping them get through the coming years of hardship. During my two days of service, we had a great time joking around with April Davis, even though her childhood home and nearly all of its contents were wiped out just one month earlier. She was angry, but she wasn't feeling sorry for herself or her family. She was just trying to find solutions to each challenge, one at a time.

I spotted this hilarious restaurant sign, above, from the Omholts' car as we left the Island that Tuesday afternoon. I really wish I had taken a photo of the entire side of this building on Hylan Boulevard. It was covered with several other signs advertising authentic homestyle cooking from around the globe.

A great sense of humour, a strong sense of family, and nourishment from meals shared with one's closest friends can go a long way to helping anyone get through hard times. It has certainly helped me.

Staten Island residents, hit again by flooding, question next move, from the Staten Island Advance.
New York City Still Struggling to Recover, from the The Journal of Light Construction Coastal Contractor.
Even the World's Top Experts Aren't Sure What to Do to Prevent Another Sandy, from The Atlantic Cities.

Greetings from Statin [sic] Island, Parts One, Two, Three, Four and the Post Script.