Superstorm Sandy 5-Year Anniversary
MHA-NYC employees volunteering for a muck-out in the Rockaways, January 2013
October 29th marks five years since Superstorm Sandy hit New York and New Jersey, flooding streets, subway and traffic tunnels and cutting off power to millions, for several days. It was an event many of us at MHA-NYC remember all too well, as our main office at 50 Broadway was also without power in the immediate aftermath and then had no heat and limited communications for at least a week. Even so, from Here2Help Connect to our direct service programs across the city, all of our staff, across departments and at every level, worked hard to maintain continuity of operations with minimal disruptions to service. Staff volunteered in an array of recovery efforts across the region, coordinating services with other providers as well as mobilizing resources and support for fellow coworkers who experienced personal loss as a result of the storm.
And so, please join MHA-NYC as we acknowledge the resilience, rebuilding, and renewal of the communities in our regions most affected by Sandy, honor the service and dedication of the responders, rescue and recovery workers, and memorialize the lives lost as a result of the storm by renewing our personal and professional commitments to disaster preparedness. Together, we can also support those who may still be struggling with distress or other mental health concerns related to Sandy or any natural or human-caused disasters, including the recent, devastating Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
If you’d like to share resources related to Sandy, you can use the following messages and materials:
Disaster Distress Helpline: Recovery Takes Time, Hurricane Sandy PSA videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQmXF-G7IZFN3ElVAEzldgQ6pNRobHOFS
Share these videos from MHA-NYC on your social media using the following template leading up to/on October 29th!
If you’re struggling 5yrs a/f Sandy or after other recent hurricanes, you’re not alone: Recovery Takes Time http://bit.ly/2gwCP2Q #sandy5
For hurricane disaster preparedness resources, visit:
New York City Emergency Management: Get Prepared http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/ready/get-prepared.page
Ready.gov: Plan Ahead for Disasters https://www.ready.gov/
The anniversary of a disaster can renew feelings of fear, anxiety, and sadness in disaster survivors, families of disaster survivors, and first responders, rescue, and recovery workers. Hurricane Sandy was the first major disaster to take place after the launch of the Disaster Distress Helpline in February 2012, and the DDH is still available for those in need of crisis counseling or emotional support. Services are free, confidential, and available 24/7 across the United States. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained counselor. Spanish speakers can call or text 1-800-985-5990 and press 2.
Comments are closed here.