October 28, 2013 marks the first anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. How many times in the past have the meteorologists predicted impending devastating weather to occur and it never happened. This time they were right. Our wildest dreams could not have prepared us for what devastation would come with the storm.

Superstorm Sandy strengthened and took an unexpected turn towards New Jersey last October 28, 2012. When the storm hit, and the power went out it was a rude awakening as to how dependent we have become on technology. The cell phones didn’t work and if you were lucky enough to charge them, it didn’t matter. Going outside and taking a walk the morning after the storm was surreal. People just took it all in; the damage-downed trees and wires plus other damage caused by the storm. Everyone was so drained. Halloween Trick-or-Treating was postponed until after the storm passed.

The Perth Amboy Waterfront was destroyed. Businesses on Front Street and the Ferry Slip Museum were hit hard as well. I remember seeing the damage at the Waterfront during a press tour. The area looked like a war zone.

Although we lost power for 2 days, it seemed much longer. It’s amazing how dependent we are on electricity. Those 2 days threw us off. We were lucky on my block. Some areas of the town didn’t have power for almost 2 weeks. It’s amazing that its a year later and some people still don’t have a permanent place to call their own. They’re still looking at the ruins of where they resided for many years.

To quote the 1984 movie, “Starman,” Actor Jeff Bridges portrays an alien who comes to Earth. When asked what he liked about the people of Earth, he replied, “You are at your best when you are at your worst.”

The people of Perth Amboy showed their spirit when over 1000 people volunteered to pick up bricks, garbage, etc. on the Waterfront one week after the storm. On the same day, the Trujillo Foundation donated blankets and food to the residents of Staten Island who got hit much worse than Perth Amboy. Thanks to the diligence of the City Employees who volunteered on their own time even when some of them may have been victims of the storm themselves. No one was killed in Perth Amboy due to Superstorm Sandy.

One year later we still feel the aftermath. People lost their homes; the Jersey Shore was devastated. Most of the boardwalks in New Jersey suffered major damage. Others such Atlantic City, Wildwood and Cape May’s had minor damage. Some of the shore communities have slowly begun to recover from the devastation of Sandy.

One woman who lives in a shore town called into a radio talk show. She was upset because a lot of politicians came to her town for a photo op and said what they are going to rebuild their neighborhood. “I personally have not received a penny of assistance even after filling out all of this paperwork,” she stated on the radio.

In Perth Amboy, the Waterfront has recovered; many of the businesses affected by Sandy are up and running. This is due to many volunteers who donated their time and money to help. Although portions of the Waterfront are still damaged, the City is coming back. It may take a while, but we’ll come back.

-Katherine M. & Carolyn M.