Hurricane Sandy has subsided, leaving Duke students and alumni among those recovering from the damage.
Families of Duke students and alumni living in the Northeast continue to cope with the destruction caused by the storm. Many still lack access to basic necessities such as water, power and, in some cases, shelter. New York and New Jersey, two states hit hardest by the storm, are recovering slowly, alumni in the area said. . “The storm lifted New Jersey and dropped it on its head,” said Nick Stevens, Trinity ‘86 and president of Duke New Jersey.
Stevens said the alumni network in New Jersey was able to stay in touch throughout the ordeal, exchanging emails to keep each other updated. He noted that even though some people suffered property damage from falling trees, most made it through the storm unscathed.
Linda Martin, Law ’96 and one of the regional chairs of Duke New York, noted the similarities of the storm’s aftermath in New York City to that of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, particularly the “eerie calmness” that has settled upon the normally bustling city.
“The atmosphere everywhere is surreal,” Martin said. “I was just at the supermarket and the shelves were bare because of the power outages. You would never, ever see that.”
Martin said efforts by the alumni network to help others restore power have progressed slowly because many members remained without electricity themselves.
“When you see such destruction—hundreds of houses burned down or flooded—people want to help,” Martin said. “But the question is, well, how do we approach this? We have to figure out who is in need of help and who is even capable of helping.”
Although rebuilding efforts have begun, much remains before the region returns to normal. For instance, the difficulty of finding gas impedes recovery, Stevens said, citing long lines at gas stations and the tendency of stations to run out of supply. The impact of Hurricane Sandy has extended to students searching for jobs, said Emma Rasiel, associate professor of the practice of economics and director of Duke in New York: Financial Markets and Institutions. Several students were forced to postpone interviews scheduled in New York City.
Students whose families live in New York or New Jersey also felt the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
“It was hard because I didn’t actually know what was going on,” said freshman Logan Turner. “Knowing that my family was at home with no power and no water and looking at pictures of the Jersey shore was very difficult for me.”
New York was not prepared for the storm, said freshman Diana Lam. Lam noted that the flooding paralyzed the subway system and disrupted bus and train schedules.
Residents of the city are optimistic that the region will pull through. Martin said a number of alumni had been planning a major presentation on upcoming development in New York City, but now they are considering hosting a discussion on how the storm and any subsequent rebuilding will affect the city.
Stevens said the first post-Sandy event Duke New Jersey will be holding is a brew pub tour and tasting set on Nov. 17.
“I imagine it will be both a reflective and celebratory event,” Stevens said.
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