Crowd commemorates Sandy anniversary on boardwalk
Shine flashlights to 'light up' the shore
The night Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey, all of Asbury Park—and most of New Jersey—was left in darkness without electricity for several days.
On the boardwalk outside of Langosta Lounge Tuesday night a crowd of about 200 survivors came together to shine flashlights into the air at 6:30 p.m. to mark the year anniversary of the storm and to signify they made it through the darkness.
The event was organized by broadcast media company Townsquare New Jersey. Several of their New Jersey affiliates set up locations along the shore, from Raritan Bay to Atlantic City, where they aired a simulcast of the “Stronger than the Storm” jingle at the time the lights were raised.
Affiliates from NJ 101.5 set up speakers on the boardwalk outside of the Langosta Lounge for the Asbury Park event.
Langosta Lounge owner Marilyn Schlossbach spent the majority of the year rebuilding her Second Avenue Pavilion businesses. They are Langosta Lounge [which features the Oshin sushi room], the new Asbury Park Yacht Club bar, Lightly Salted Surf Mercado store, Libby’s Beach Shack, a casual seafood fast-food restaurant, and Pop’s Garage, an authentic Mexican restaurant with an American restaurant feel.
“We did an amazing thing here in our business world,” she said. “It has been a draining, draining few months but I definitely feel stronger.”
It was all a learning experience for Schlossbach. She has increased her list of contacts and, moving forward, she would like to help connect people who are still in the midst of their own recovery and rebuilding efforts with those who helped her, including Waves for Water executive director Catherine Murphy.
Waves for Water is a grassroots initiative of surfers. The organization helped restore 36 structures Sandy had damaged in between Monmouth Beach and Ocean City, including homes, volunteer fire departments and small businesses, according to Murphy.
Murphy helped Schlossbach secure grants for restoration and rebuilding, helped physically clean out the storm damage and “washed about 1000 dishes,
she said.
“It was an amazing experience to watch diversity turn into community,” Murphy said.
NJ 101.5 FM Disc Jockey “Big” Joe Henry spent the storm hunkered down in his residence in Long Branch. His home suffered structural damage to the front and rear facades. He threw out the last remnants of the damage Tuesday morning, a year later.
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Henry traveled down to the area to bring toys to the local kids and help with their recovery efforts.
“To see that five or six years later in your home town was just so surreal,” he said. “There are still so many [houses] off the foundation in Sea Bright.”
When he saw the original devastation in his home state he wondered how New Jersey was going to recover.
“Nobody ever gave up,” he said. “People just got in there and started donating their services. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Maureen Fry, who has live in Ocean Grove for two years, rode out the storm in her brother’s house in Rumson. He had sent his family north and stayed behind. The two spent some time bailing out the water that was trickling into the basement until about 9 p.m., when the Navesink overflowed and the pressure became too much.
“It just blew in and filled the basement within 45 minutes,” she said.
In the hours ahead she sat on the porch, watching debris float inland. The next morning, when the debris settled and then started flowing in the opposite direction, signify the flow had finally changed, whole neighborhood screamed in relief, she said.
Donna Serina, a 16-year Bradley Beach resident, stayed in her home during the storm. The rising waters of Fletcher and Wesley lakes didn’t make it to her home, but she lost power and heat for about six days. She relied on a battery powered radio for her information.
“That radio station is what got me through last year,” she said. “I would call up just to say ‘thank you’,” she said.
She also spent the time with her neighbors, 15-year resident Gabriel Migoyo and Floyd Duchi. Duchi moved in with Migoyo in July and the storm hit three months later.
“It was a testament to our relationship,” Migoyo said. “That we could live together through the darkness.”
Old Bridge residents Kim Demetrios and Sheree Bechtold spent the day in the Asbury Park area. Before heading to the ‘light up the shore’ event they attended a candlelight vigil in Belmar.
The boardwalks that adorn the shore area as a part of New Jersey’s identity for them.
“I love the ocean and the boardwalks. The whole Sandy thing was so devastating,” Demetrios said. “The way we got the boardwalks back up as fast as we did was amazing.”
“I love the shore area, I feel connected to it and always want to be a part of it,” Bechtold said.
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