11-13-2012 Queens NY Hurricane Relief Detail
On November 13, 2012 firefighters from Collingswood, Barrington, Gloucester Twp,Voorhees , and Winslow headed out at 5 A.M. headed to Rockaway Point and Broad Channel in Queens NY. A trailer full of donated supplies and another with 6,000 pounds of ice tea were delivered to these two towns upon request.
The news coverage doesn't describe what happened to these places. It looked like a bomb was dropped on the town. What wasn't flooded was burned. We went to areas where a fire destroyed over 100 houses leaving nothing left but foundations.
In Broad Channel we delivered supplies to the firehouse as well as a VFW post that was set up to recieve and give supplies to the residents. A overwhelmed worker there stated it was non stop of people in need since the storm. Most were still living in their homes without power, because their cars were also flooded and had no transportation. Also the fear of looters taking everything that was not damaged was a major concern.
We worked in two firefighters houses. A volunteer from Broad Channel who was still living in his house with his family, without power. He said the water was about 4 foot high inside the house. Our crew helped him out in removing all the drywall throughout the house before the mold damage settled in. The other house we worked in was a FDNY firefighter in Rockaway. We worked to gut his house as well which included removing the entire 1st floor down to the studs.
Our instructions for the day were easy, do what you can do before it gets dark. Once the sun goes down its not safe here. Looters fill the streets and most of them are armed. Even the national guard told us they were being shot at after dark.
--Photos NJFG Ted Aurig
Read MoreThe news coverage doesn't describe what happened to these places. It looked like a bomb was dropped on the town. What wasn't flooded was burned. We went to areas where a fire destroyed over 100 houses leaving nothing left but foundations.
In Broad Channel we delivered supplies to the firehouse as well as a VFW post that was set up to recieve and give supplies to the residents. A overwhelmed worker there stated it was non stop of people in need since the storm. Most were still living in their homes without power, because their cars were also flooded and had no transportation. Also the fear of looters taking everything that was not damaged was a major concern.
We worked in two firefighters houses. A volunteer from Broad Channel who was still living in his house with his family, without power. He said the water was about 4 foot high inside the house. Our crew helped him out in removing all the drywall throughout the house before the mold damage settled in. The other house we worked in was a FDNY firefighter in Rockaway. We worked to gut his house as well which included removing the entire 1st floor down to the studs.
Our instructions for the day were easy, do what you can do before it gets dark. Once the sun goes down its not safe here. Looters fill the streets and most of them are armed. Even the national guard told us they were being shot at after dark.
--Photos NJFG Ted Aurig
