Brooklyn, NY – Destruction And Heartbreak In Sea Gate (video-photos)

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    In this Oct. 30 2012 photo, A devastated unidentified long-time resident of Sea Gate walking down the sand-covered Atlantic Avenue while navigating between personal belongings and debris from homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Some of the homes on this water-front street were swept away by the raging waves while all home have suffered extensive damages. Photo: Eli Wohl/VIN NewsBrooklyn, NY – The scene is almost indescribable. Facades of homes are torn off. Houses have been wrested from their very foundations. Brick walls and slabs of concrete are violently tossed and strewn about. A microwave oven can be seen lying on its side in what is left of a front yard. A cheerful floral mural painted on an inside wall and a closet still containing clothes and shoes can be seen through what was once an entryway. These are all remnants of the lives of many residents of Sea Gate, Brooklyn.

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    The now calmer sea belies the destruction it callously inflicted and left behind. An eerie and hushed silence has fallen over what was just days ago a vibrant community. Home to many Orthodox Jewish families, Sea Gate is a small gated neighborhood in Coney Island. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on three sides.

    Sea Gate resident Razie Lefkowitz told The Forward (http://bit.ly/ScQl2V) that she and a few of her five kids were watching the ocean waves on Monday night at about 6:30 PM when the water began to rise quickly. “We basically just ran away,” she said. Lefkowitz’s home is one of the few still standing.

    On Oct 30 2012, VIN News Photographer Eli Wohl took to the streets of Sea Gate to witness the devastation. watch below the video. scroll down to end of article for photos.

    For 65-year-old Jeff Nier, there was nowhere to run. He and his wife decided to wait out the storm inside his home even as it filled with three feet of water. Nier said he could not have escaped even if he wanted to because the storm had swept up three cars and two SUVs and deposited them in a mashed heap right on his front lawn.

    Instead, Nier and his wife took refuge on the second floor of their home, where they remained in good spirits throughout the ordeal. In an interview with the Associated Press (http://on.wsj.com/RsKPMt), Nier said, “Where am I gonna go? I got three dogs. It was just a surge, but I didn’t think it was gonna be like this.” Fortunately, Nier’s home survived mostly intact.

    Speaking in Yiddish, Ickle Schwartz told how his father Meir Ber tried to evacuate the flood zone by driving along Neptune Avenue, but became caught up in the rising water and was forced to abandon his car. In order to save himself, his father jumped atop a garbage truck where he remained for hours. He was eventually rescued by a tractor truck driver who drove him to safety a few blocks away and dropped him off at a local Pathmark.

    Councilman David G. Greenfield of Brooklyn toured the decimated area shortly after the storm ended to survey the extent of the damage. He described what he saw as “devastating.”

    “The devastation I personally witnessed last night in Sea Gate while visiting with Boro Park Shomrim Safety Patrol members was absolutely devastating. The sheer destruction and havoc caused by this storm was heartbreaking. There are homes that were literally washed away by Sandy. But to their credit, the spirits of the residents that I met were strong. They are resilient and are determined to rebuild as quickly as possible,” Councilman Greenfield said.

    The resilience of Sea Gate’s residents is evident in their comments about the destruction. “The Abishter helft, God helps,” said one man. Another woman who lost her home and possessions blessed God for saving her and her family.

    Looting has become a concern for many residents. The Boro Park Shomrim have successfully addressed this issue by setting up a command center in the area. Councilman Greenfield had high praise for the Boro Park Shomrim. “I especially want to thank the Boro Park Shomrim for setting up their command center there, maintaining a visible presence to prevent looting and assisting the people of Sea Gate. These residents of Sea Gate are our friends, relatives and neighbors. We must do everything in our power to help them rebuild as soon as possible.”

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    15 Comments
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    11 years ago

    Nebech, nebech.

    sasregener
    sasregener
    11 years ago

    no words.

    ALTERG
    ALTERG
    11 years ago

    I was just there, its really scary

    11 years ago

    Do they have homeowner insurance?

    monalisa
    monalisa
    11 years ago

    It’s terrible. I never heard one report about Seagate anywhere. It is like a war zone, I remember from after the Blitz in London.

    newtransplant
    newtransplant
    11 years ago

    Nebech, all those families whose homes have been half destroyed, my heart is aching for them. They all have insurance but that can never replace heirlooms, things with sentimental value, childrens’ treasures…….

    monalisa
    monalisa
    11 years ago

    But Baruch Hashem, the people are OK. Things can be replaced, people can’t. At the end of the day, our personal safety matters more than losing a child’s treasure or Bubby’s samovar from Russia. I know how devastating it is to lose things, but they’re only things. B”H no yidden died. Now we need to help them rebuild. I hope they had insurance. If there is a fund, can someone let us know?

    11 years ago

    It was good to see a Shomrim truck there helping out. I truly did not know there were that many frum yidden living in SeaGate. Also good to see at least two women wearing Shomrim jackets and working as part of a mixed team without the usual meshugaas if its tziniusdik to assist in rescue operations.

    CSLMoish
    CSLMoish
    11 years ago

    Fyi homes on beach probably have flood insurance. But acts of god are not always covered. And homes 2 blocks away and the remainder of sg dont all have flood insurance which is very expensive. So lots of people just lost alot of money

    mytake
    mytake
    11 years ago

    and bigwheel you must be very smart

    11 years ago

    nebech . it makes me sad to watch this & sad to write this
    BUT the truth is i wish klal yisroel as a nation had done teshuva, so we could’ve prevented this from happening

    lets start doing teshuva NOW ASAP before something else happens C”V

    Satmar
    Satmar
    11 years ago

    its so sad to see these pictures of yiddisha houses destroyed may hashem help them recover and rebuild

    i just wana give 1 piece of advise i think its about time that jews move out of SeaGate its near the water, and now due to Global Warming Al Gore says more Hurricanes will happen every year, so in order this should nerver againn happen better to move to more inland. like boro park, flatbush, williamsburg, its more safer from hurricanes, B”H no houses were damaged in BP WB

    Sarak
    Sarak
    11 years ago

    chasdai hasahem no one there passed away or got hurt very bad

    hope they have a great life going forward, regardless where they live