Denis Loof
Civic and Political Speechmaking
8/9/15
When: One day after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York City.
Where: 116th Street in Rockaway Park, on the remainder of what was once the
boardwalk.
Three nights ago we were warned. It was the same storm of the century,
gloom and doom, nightmare scenario we've heard about in the past. Only this time,
this scenario involved us. It involved our homes, our families, our community. As the
storm grew closer the warnings became more and more serious. But in the face of
this storms potential, many scoffed. We’ve experienced severe weather before. Just a
year ago we were faced with a similar scenario, or so we thought. So many stayed,
despite the warnings on TV, despite the darkening skies, and despite their better
judgment.
But I’m not here to judge these people, especially because I was one of them.
Many of us made it through the night, some did not. But regardless, our lives were
certainly forever changed by that night. Whether we lost a relative, a friend, a
boardwalk, a car, or a home, everyone who lived through Hurricane Sandy will
certainly never be the same. Even if all that means is that we’ve learned our lesson
and that the next time we’re told to evacuate, we’ll listen.
I know I should have listened. But instead I was stubborn, foolish, and hard
headed. Just before sundown the water rose and overtook the boardwalk. But this
was nothing unusual. This had happened before. It wasn’t until the sun went down
that I realized the mistake I had made. When the power went out and we had to rely
on battery powered radios and flashlights. When we looked out the window and
saw the boardwalk floating up the block. When we heard the sounds of rushing
water forcing the boardwalk against the side of the apartment building. And when
we saw the orange glow of the unreachable fires that burned so many houses and
businesses that night.
But this is not the end. And we will rebuild our community in time. And it will
no doubt take more time for some than others. And we will no doubt lose members
who have lost more than one could ever imagine. But for those of us who can, we
must reach out and uplift our brothers and sisters who have lost. We must come
together as one in the face of this unimaginable tragedy that has physically battered
us. We must be there for one another in this time of extraordinary need.
Rebuilding won’t happen overnight, nor will the immense amount of cleanup
that must take place. But we will have help. We already see volunteers pouring in
from across the city, and surely in the coming days, we’ll see more from across the
country. The federal government has already committed to the clean up effort, and
our own city agencies have begun removing debris from the streets. We must all do
what we can to start the process of rebuilding our homes, businesses, and our
community. It won’t be easy. And it won’t be quick. But it is something that we must
do.
The focus of government must be on restoring basic services to our
community. Restoring power and water service is literally crucial to the survival of
the tens of thousands who live in the hardest hit areas. But we also need the ability
to rebuild our community without jumping through hoops as well.
We must call on our government officials to do whatever they can to help us
rebuild. Measures must be taken that will allow for an expedited inspection and
construction approval to ensure those who have faced severe structural damage to
their homes know what they must do to ensure their families are safe. This is not the
time to follow regular procedure, which can delay construction for weeks. People
are in need now. People are without homes now. And people need to be able to
begin the healing process now.
We’ve done it before in the past, and we’ll undoubtedly be forced to do it
again in the future. But that is what makes this community so special. We are a
small, close-knit group of people who are always willing to reach out and lend a
hand to our neighbor. There is no better time for that than right now, and I implore
all who can to do so. So many have lost so much, but we will move forward, we will
rebuild, and we will show how resilient this community can be.