Hurricane Sandy impacted almost every home in the Rockaways, with some damaged by the pounding surf and others by the waist-high waters that submerged much of the peninsula on Oct. 29.
Over the weekend, homeowners confronted the damage and removed furniture, appliances, clothing and, in many cases, home insulation and flooring that were waterlogged by the tidal surge.
The Real Deal surveyed the destruction along the shoreline in Belle Harbor and Rockaway Park, and in a slideshow compares the damaged homes to what they looked like before the storm.
Further inland, backhoes and plows cleared the streets of sand that the waves brought in, while the city’s sanitation workers lined up to cart away the ruined personal property.
Lisa Jackson, president of Rockaway Properties, based in Belle Harbor, said even as many of the residents are in shock, most say they plan to stay. “Some are still living in their houses,” she said, on the second floors, above the high-water mark.
But she said there were others — with fewer ties to the neighborhood — who are looking to sell their damaged properties. “Some people have them as their second homes,” Jackson said, mentioning an owner whose primary residence is in Connecticut. “The owner does not want to rebuild. There are cases like that.”