Over the weekend, the hurricane-ravaged Staten Island neighborhood of Midland Beach was the focus of a widely-discussed NY Times story about the heavy death toll in that waterfront community, which saw the highest cluster of Sandy-related fatalities. Yesterday, photographer Tod Seelie documented more of the destruction throughout the two neighborhoods immediately to the south of Midland Beach: New Dorp and Oakwood, which were both very much in the bull's eye of the storm.
Almost two weeks after Sandy's surge, these heartbreaking photos emphasize how much work lies ahead. On the bright side, volunteers and donations have been pouring into the island, FEMA has distributed almost $39 million in assistance to the borough, and today Mayor Bloomberg signed an executive order waiving all Department of Buildings application and permit fees for repair work to buildings damaged by the hurricane. (And for what it's worth, President Obama is said to be visiting the area on Thursday during his trip to New York.) If you're inspired to join the recovery effort, there is information about how to do so here.
