drive home

as I drive back to our extended stay hotel from work (well, I personally am not driving because I'm writing this blog entry via my iphone app and I don't think it'd be advised to drive a government 15-passenger van while blogging...) we happen to pass through the most beautiful residential long island communities that I would have never known were here. and while we're driving past these beautiful homes with their blossoming cherry trees, all I can keep my eyes on are whether or not the homes have taken measures to mitigate against future storms. every day (or practically every day) I go out into the field with my team and FEMA team lead to look at properties that have flooded and whether or not they have basements, one or two stories, their machinery (HVAC) at grade or above the first floor, and so on (you know, typical work for a post undergrad student with a BA in psychology and a minor in theatre arts). and now, no matter what neighborhood I'm in or home and garden show I'm watching (because HGTV has become one of the two channels I watch regularly...the other being the weather channel...) all I take notice to is whether or not their air conditioning is outside at grade (essentially on the floor, not below first floor and not above it) or elevated higher up.


(FYI: because I gave up on having a written journal...it turned out to be too much of a commitment for me...not that the nine month disaster relief and recovery program is any less of a commitment...I've chosen to turn to blogging my thoughts. so, sorry family and friends, but you may end up getting more than you bargained for with the whole "yeah, of course michelle, I'd love to follow your blog!" thing...for example...this post about my slight preoccupation with the motivations techniques of the residents of long island). and on that note, I would like to not only thank you for reading my blog (or at least being considerate enough to pretend to read it and ask my family members the details of my life instead) but to also include some photos that have nothing to do with this post but are just for your viewing pleasure.

:)

slow recovery

today was a particularly productive and moving day spent out in the field. we collected data for several properties but were able to speak to more residents than we have been able to in the past. one gentleman in particular was brooklyn-born but raised in breezy point and has lived there all his life. he told us in detail the work he had put into his home and his love for the community. he also mentioned how his ninety-seven year old mother was living in a converted firehouse within the community and had lived there since before he was born. she is currently getting ready to come back to her home and start the recovery process.

seeing these homes that are half still abandoned even six months after the storm is a strange situation. walking around this small beach community that reminds me a lot of the beach communities I grew up around in southern california has put a lot into perspective for me. I've been able to see firsthand how mother nature can take away so much from a community. she doesn't discriminate and it seems at random who gets their property destroyed from a storm and who's* barely hangs on by a thread. the love and commitment these residents have shown towards their neighbors and the whole of their community is the most moving thing I have ever witnessed. after having these homes taken from them, some which date back to the early 1900s, these resilient new yorkers return to their sand-ridden communities with broken dishes and silverware still buried in the middle of walkways, and start to slowly rebuild their homes. and they don't just rebuild their own...they help each other rebuild together.


(*side note: not to take away from the topic and the insight I was sharing, but I know my mother passed out my blog address to some of my high school teachers and if my senior year ap english teacher is reading this, I apologize for my lack of knowledge regarding when to write "who's" versus "whose." I'm just going to continue to use them interchangeably and want to apologize in advance).



this photo is an example of the beautiful spirit that breezy point has. these wooden stars are tacked to posts all around the community with various words of encouragement written on them.

sunday in the life

due to constant moving around and 62 hour work (FEMA and NCCC work) weeks, blogging hasn't happened in quite some time. so let's change that now shall we?


in the past year or so that I've neglected to blog (slight exaggeration?) I have worked both in and out of the office, being consumed by all things Sandy relief. because my team is assigned to the job of hazard mitigation, we have a list of properties around the coast (from the rockaways to breezy point, ny) that we go out and visit to collect data regarding the condition of their homes post-flooding from Sandy. we have about 200-300 properties with varying degrees of damage (some we can see from the outside and some we can't). a portion of our properties belong to the group of homes that were destroyed from the fires that broke out during the storm. it's definitely been an experience working in these communities and seeing how much damage mother nature can do. while out in the field, we've been fortunate enough to interact with the residents and community members and hear and see firsthand how their community is rebuilding itself. there are homes that are still, even after six months, missing half of their kitchen and part of their living room because the tide swept it back out to sea. the houses that were burnt to the ground are now leftover bits of foundation and sand. while in a certain community, we were talking with a resident and he was telling us how one family still comes back every so often to sit where their home once stood and barbecue together because it will always be their home. it's really inspiring to be surrounded by people who can see the good through so much bad.


in NCCC world, we've been focusing on projects we can get involved in to offer hours serving communities around new york outside of Sandy relief. we spent the better half of today in rye, new york volunteering at a pancreatic cancer research walk as "route marshals" (aka I cheered on about 500 walkers in 39 degree weather wearing my khakis and hoodie waving around three pom poms...tell me my day was not a success). it was one of the most wonderful days I've had probably ever. the walk was started about four years ago in memory of a mother in the community passing away from pancreatic cancer. her daughter has set up and run the event ever since. she decided to host the walk in a place that was special to her and her mother, which just so happened to be one of the most beautiful beaches located next to playland boardwalk (I was informed this was a rather famous pier/boardwalk in rye, so if you have not heard of it, I definitely recommend googling it because I have now decided to live there...right on the boardwalk). it was a beautiful day spent with an entirely new community that only exuded love and hope for the future of pancreatic cancer research and I could not have imagined spending my sunday any other way. so thank you, playland walkers of rye, new york, for welcoming us and sharing your generous and endless supply of sesame seed bagels and croissants. we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

out and about

after spending the weekend in boston visiting my sisters, I came back to AmeriWorld to get back into the swing of things.

this week we are going (and have gone) out into the field to look at properties that have been damaged from flooding. we are currently assessing properties in breezy point, which was one of the hardest hit areas in new york. going into the community today to see the areas that were devastated by the storm was an eye-opening experience. there were people working on road construction, repairing roofs, fixing pipes, painting walls, etc. one resident had friends over to eat pizza with and help him repair his home. it was really uplifting to see a community come together after such devastation and rebuild their lives. though the residents of breezy point had several feet of water flow through their homes, they're still able to find hope and work towards rebuilding their community. I find myself continually being pleasantly surprised by the human race.

disaster recovery center

today was my first day at a disaster recovery center located near rockaway beach, new york. after seven weeks of training and hearing about disaster recovery centers and role-playing interactions with applicants at disaster recovery centers and basically just wishing we could see what a disaster recovery center looks like, I finally got the opportunity to experience one in real life. aka, today was an exciting day in FEMA corps world.

disaster recovery centers are set up after disasters are declared and serve as places for residents to come and meet with several organizations and programs, such as FEMA and the red cross, to start their recovery process. hurricane sandy hit the coast of new england mid october of last year and there is still an extensive amount of recovery that is taking place. I was fortunate enough to shadow a FEMA employee in the area of hazard mitigation at a DRC (disaster recovery center) today and see the process firsthand. the DRC is not nearly as crowded or busy as it was a few months ago but there are definitely still applicants who come in everyday seeking advice on how to continue with their own recovery. there are still streets and neighborhoods that are blocked off to the public due to hurricane sandy devastation. next week, I will be going out with my team to assess damage to properties such as these (and by assess I mean to observe strictly from the outside, not to be confused with the job of a certified inspector or contractor...in case my FEMA team lead happens to read this blog....which in that case...hello and I'm glad you found my blog, either because you happened to google search specifically for "michelle's FEMA corps blog" or because I suggested you read it...either way, welcome!).

tomorrow I will spend the day at the same DRC except for with a different employee in the area of hazard mitigation. one of the most enjoyable parts of this entire experience has been meeting people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. the days have been long, the commutes have been even longer, but I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of a program that aims to serve other people and get to know wonderful employees and colleagues from all walks of life.

day one on the job

today was our first day working in the joint field office. it consisted of hazard mitigation training and a sneak peek at what we have to look forward to for the next one to two months (ie. working in disaster recovery centers, working in the field, etc.)

terms to define:
joint field office: once a disaster is declared, this office gets set up asap by the logistics team and becomes fully equipped with computers, phones, etc. to serve as a central office for FEMA to work out of. this office can be set up in any space that is for rent or lease and located not too near the disaster site but just close enough (for example, a space for lease in a nearby mall can be taken and turned into a joint field office within 72 hours if need be).

mitigation: measures taken to best prepare an area should another disaster occur in order to prevent/decrease loss of property and/or life

disaster recovery center: a center set up that is near the disaster site and serves as a place where disaster survivors can come and register for FEMA to see what assistance they may or may not be eligible for, as well as talk with other voluntary agencies, such as the red cross, etc.


on thursday, I will be working alongside a FEMA mitigation employee at a disaster recovery center along the coast of new york (there are several locations, including brooklyn, queens, and long island). I'm looking forward to shadowing him or her and seeing all of the elements that make up a disaster recovery center in person.

starting next week, I will be working under a team lead (FEMA employee) with two other girls on my team to go out into the field to breezy point, ny to look at the properties that have been damaged. we will be collecting data via digital photos and copious amounts of notes in order to create a database of information that will be used in the area of mitigation to figure out how best to prepare the community for another storm.


in the meantime, we will be packing up our van yet again to travel to long island, where we will be residing for the duration of our time in new york. time to get that red duffel filled!