Belle Harbor and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on 60 Minutes

Image source: 60 Minutes

Last night the community of Belle Harbor was featured on 60 Minutes. This was the Rockaway neighborhood situated in the middle of the peninsula, that suffered not only from flooding but from fire during Hurricane Sandy. The folks interviewed in the video talked about various harrowing experiences during the storm – the explosion of a gas line which led to a kind of rain made of fire (embers); one person rescuing six people from a burning house, taking them across raging waters that appeared tsunami-like; and a family “making a break for it” as the floodwaters rose and threatened their lives in their home.

The tight-knit element of the community shines through during the show, and it’s heartening to see how everyone sticks together and helps each other out, event drawing back to the community those who have left. The Brady family, who is also interviewed at the beginning of the video, talks about how the community sticks together even after a tragic storm:

“It brought us together. It brought countless other families together. It brought our neighborhood together. People have flown in from all over the world from all over the country that are from here that have families here to help its brought everybody back and grounded again.”

After Sandy: Devastation and determination in Belle Harbor [60 Minutes]
Video: Devastation and determination in Belle Harbor [60 Minutes]