It’s almost three months to the day since Superstorm Sandy claimed the lives of 43 and caused an estimated $65 billion in damage in New York City. Incredibly, some 2,100 New Yorkers are still displaced from their homes, living in hotel rooms and temporary housing.
The disaster upended the lives of thousands whose priorities ever since have been finding a roof for their heads, getting food, restoring water , power and heat to their homes. And, of course, filing claims with FEMA and insurance companies.
Much has been focused, quite rightly, on providing support and comfort to children and the elderly, but Sandy also took a huge physical and psychological toll on moms, the lynch pins of many families.
That’s why The Post teamed up with Glam4Good, the empowerment organization founded by top fashion and beauty expert Mary Alice Stephenson, to give four of them a well-deserved break.
With clothes, accessories and services donated by beauty experts and designers BCGB and Ann Taylor, Glam4Good gave each woman a full day of luxury indulgences, including hair, coloring, makeup and mani-pedis. And because so many of them lost all of their clothing, they also received a full wardrobe update, with clothes they got to keep.
“These women lost a lot in Hurricane Sandy,” says Stephenson, who has been distributing clothes and supplies donated by her contacts in the fashion world since it struck. “Some couldn’t go back to work because they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. Today we’re going to pamper them and help fill their closets so they can feel relaxed, feel great about themselves and start again anew.”
Here’s how our team of stylists, hairdressers, make-up artists and photographers partnered with generous fashion and beauty brands to give the four New Yorkers a day — and a host of dazzling new clothes and accessories — to remember.
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Hafeeza Martinez
Age: 51
Neighborhood: Red Hook, Brooklyn
Sandy Story: The flood destroyed everything in her garden-level apartment, along with her car. She has moved into an apartment on a higher floor in her building, but she now has to commute to the Upper West Side, since her employer’s shop was also damaged.
In Her Words: “The night of Sandy, I knew things were going to be bad when my son, Javed, started shouting that water was rushing in through the bedroom windows. I was thinking: ‘How can that be? We closed all the windows.’
“But the force of the water had smashed through the glass. It’s a basement apartment, a few steps down from the street, with a garden out back. Within seconds, we were in knee-high water. It was so scary. Javed and I just scooped up our two cats, Sylvia and Mindy, and we got out of there as quickly as we could.
“Before the storm, I’d armed myself with a mop and bucket and we’d placed towels beside all the doors to soak up the water. That seems like craziness now. The flood was on such a massive scale and, like most people, we never imagined it would cause so much damage.
“The cops had told us to evacuate but we stayed where we were because we were worried about what might happen to our car. But the car ended up getting damaged by sea water which came in through the sun roof. It was unsalvageable.
“Meanwhile, we dashed to a friend’s home up the street and helped him move his property from the first to the second floor. At least his things stood a chance. After that, all we could do was wait.
“Around 2:30 a.m., when the water began to go down, I walked back to the apartment in a daze. I felt numb as I sat in the darkness on what was left of the bed. Before we’d left, I’d stuffed some of my clothes into trash bags and put them on the bed to keep them dry. But, since all the furniture overturned, the bags had fallen on the floor and got soaked.
“In the daylight, I could finally see the damage. I can’t bear to think about what I lost. My spaghetti-strapped wedding dress, a beautiful gown I’d bought for my daughter. Shoes, belts, coats, jeans and so many things of sentimental value.
“At the time, though, I was more worried about my precious family photographs, my sons’ computer, our TVs, a $600 new bed I’d just bought and Javed’s college books. All destroyed. I hadn’t even thought about getting renters’ insurance. I’ve no idea how much money it was all worth.
“Since then, it’s been all about the clean-up and trying to earn money at another branch of Fairway until the Red Hook store re-opens. I’ve been wearing clothes donated by the niece of my brother in Boston who is the same size as me. It’s been so hard but I count my blessings because my boys have been very helpful. They’ve kept me strong — at least when I’m with them.
“Every day, though, I sit on the train to work and think about what happened. That’s when I cry. It’s like a cloud hanging over me which won’t go away.
“But today, I got to escape it. To be treated to this day by Mary Alice has been a dream come true.
“It’s the first time I’ve worn heels in about 30 years. They were so high, it was scary to walk. And I got to keep three dresses, including my favorite, the red one, which I’m going to wear to the Fairway staff ball in Queens on Friday.
I feel like a queen and it’s been an incredible experience. Looking at my reflection in the mirror just now, I feel transformed into another person.”
Red Hook
No deaths occurred in Red Hook, but the area was subjected to severe structural damage from the surge. Three months on, two dozen households and businesses have no power because Con Ed has been unable to reconnect the supply until each building’s heat and water equipment is certified safe.
How You Can Help: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary R.C. Church of Red Hook is accepting donations of baby food, diapers, baby wipes and cleaning supplies such as trash bags, bleach, brooms, etc. Donations can be brought or sent to the church at 98 Richard Street, Brooklyn, 11231. Organizers plan their next distribution on Feb 6. Volunteers are needed that day so, if you can help, please email: Visitationbmv1854@gmail.com
Alana Duggan
Age: 32
Neighborhood: Breezy Point, Queens
Sandy Story: In April of 2011, Alana Duggan, an office manager and mom-of-three, saw her Breezy Point home burn to the ground. She returned to her rebuilt house last July, four months before Sandy, which flooded her basement to the ceiling. She and her family live in a rental in Sheepshead Bay and hope to move home when their new water system is inspected .
In Her Words: “Lightning struck twice for us. First, when the house caught fire in 2011 because of an accident with a space heater. It took it right down to the foundations.
“After we’d moved back, Sandy came. Thankfully, the water stopped just an inch below the floorboards of our first floor, but we lost the entire basement, the contents of which weren’t covered by insurance. The heating system and duct work was destroyed and molded. The whole place was uninhabitable.
“All the kids’ toys were in the basement in a playroom, plus dozens of boxes which we hadn’t unpacked. Many of them contained my winter clothes, boots and jackets. I probably lost 60 or 70 pairs of shoes. I’d kept my wedding dress in a special preservation box but, of course, the box isn’t designed for a major flood.
“Looking back on that night, I shudder. We lost power at 5:30 p.m. In the time my husband went out to move the car, the water in the basement was waist high. It was terrifying, but we had to keep calm because of the children.
“The bureaucracy and the whole re-building process has been frustrating. And the feeling of being displaced yet again has been hard to deal with. Luckily our kids have been very resilient and have gone with the flow.
“I’m grateful that Glam4Good is highlighting that people are still hurting. Family conversations which used to be: ‘How was your day?’ are now about insurance, FEMA and when things are going to get fixed. So today, it felt so wonderful to feel beautiful and be celebrated.
“When the photographer got me to pose with the wind machine, I felt like a supermodel. I’m happy Mary Alice persuaded me to try on the red jumpsuit, something I’d never consider wearing usually. Now I’m going to wear it to a wedding in April!
“It’s been an amazing experience. All four of us came in exhausted and tired but we look like different people now.”
Breezy Point
A catastrophic blaze which ignited during Sandy obliterated a grid of 110 homes on Breezy and destroyed St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church, the heart of the community. Amazingly no lives were lost. Today, 737 households and businesses are still without power in the tightly-knit peninsula.
How You Can Help:Breezy Point Disaster Relief is seeking financial donations at breezypointdisasterrelief.org or mail checks to Breezy Point Disaster Relief Fund, C/O The Law Office of Lee and Kane, 2175 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11234. “Keep Calm and Re-Build Breezy” T-shirts are available on the website.
Cheryl Wase
Age: 53
Neighborhood: Belle Harbor, Queens
Sandy Story: A recently divorced flight attendant, Wase rented a one-bedroom basement apartment with her 17-year-old son, Zane. The storm filled her apartment nine feet high, up to the ceiling and staircase with saltwater, oil and debris, destroying everything she owned. After brief stays in another apartment in her building and with her parents in Indiana, she has relocated to St. Augustine, Fla., where another son, Zachary, 21, is attending college. Zane has stayed behind in New York with his father while he finishes high school.
In Her Words: “I didn’t have renters’ insurance. I dread to even try to estimate the total value of my belongings. $20,000? $30,000? And that’s not including my car, which was written off.
“It might sound shallow, but I can’t help crying when I think about all the clothes I had to throw out.
“A couple days after Sandy, once the apartment had been pumped out, I put on my son’s wetsuit — the one he wears surfing — and went in to see the damage. Looking into what was left of my closet was heart-breaking. It was my first-ever walk-in and it symbolized a new start after my divorce.
“I was taking baby steps on the dating scene again and had recently bought six or seven nice dresses and pairs of shoes from Macy’s. They made me feel glamorous. But, like everything else, they were beyond saving. I was so scared of contamination because everything was covered in sea water, sand, oil and chemicals.
“My friends were really kind and gave me clothes. My airline, United, donated uniforms. But as every woman knows, it’s not the same as having your own things. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been flying my ass off since Sandy, because work keeps my mind off what I lost and what happened.
“My emotions are up and down. I have good and bad days. I’ll never forget how frightening it was when the water rushed into the apartment at about 5:30 that night. All of sudden, there was three or four inches and it was swirling upwards by the second. Zane was shouting: “Mom, Mom! The water’s coming in!”
We grabbed our two dogs and ran upstairs to another apartment which was vacant. Before we abandoned the place, I went into flight attendant mode and started unplugging electrical stuff.
“Sitting out the storm was awful. Out of one window, we could see this great torrent of water. There were beds floating past, even someone in a kayak. Out of the other, the sky was a fiery orange because of the house fires just a few blocks away.
“The aftermath was when I lost it. All the debris. Not having heat, water or electricity. Trying to get a cell signal and keeping my phone charged became an obsession. Eating snack and protein bars. Lining up at the Salvation Army food truck for hot food. It was degrading.
“On the Saturday after the storm, I hit rock bottom when I was taking pictures inside the apartment for FEMA. I slipped and fell and dropped my iPhone into the water, so I lost that, too. I walked out and just sat down in the middle of the street and wept. A stranger was rubbing my back, saying: ‘It’ll be okay!’
“Three months on, I’m still in shock but I’m getting back on my feet. The makeover has been wonderful because it’s taken me away from everything for a day. Right now I feel amazing.
“I normally color my hair out of a box so having professional highlights done at a swanky Fifth Avenue salon was a dream come true. Plus I’ve never had my make-up done for me before so I learned some great tips.
“The clothes and accessories I’ve been given to rebuild my closet are awesome. It feels like another new beginning.”
Corrina Sabastaco
Age: 45
Neighborhood: Belle Harbor
Sandy Story: Sabatacos, an educational administrator, and her fiancé, Steven Ferreira, 42, who works in finance, evacuated their two-story bungalow the night before the storm. At the time, she was eight months pregnant. They returned to find nearly four feet of standing water in their home, and everything ruined. Their daughter, Olivia, was born on Jan. 3. After three moves, including a expensive stay in a hotel, they are renting a house in Middle Village, Queens, until theirs is fit to occupy.
In Her Words: “After Sandy, Steve had told me to stay away from the house until he’d had a chance to clean things up first. He was very worried about the air quality, especially because of the pregnancy.
“But I needed to see the extent of the damage for myself. I needed closure. Seeing my neighborhood — the area I’d been raised in — so devastated was too much to take in. The outside of the house was filthy dirty and you could see how the water level had gone way up past the windows.
But nothing prepared me for what was inside. I lost it when I saw the brand new items from my baby shower floating in the water a few inches above the floor. The whole place stank of sewage. I just started crying. I was hysterical.
“We didn’t have contents insurance and I’ve been kicking myself that I hadn’t left them at the yacht club where we held the shower. But I didn’t know the storm was going to be that bad. Nobody did.
“I lost all my shoes and boots — 20, 30 pairs at least — which were on the bottom of my walk-in closet. Two expensive Luis Vuitton purses given as gifts were ruined.
“Pretty much everything, except a few summer sandals and some maternity shirts on the very top shelves, was covered in a thick, black sludge.
“After that, my doctor told me to stay away from Rockaway. What could I do? I couldn’t help with anything. I was too big. I couldn’t go back to work because I had no clothes to wear.
“I left it to Steve and his dad to gut the place. I was devastated for them because they’d put their heart and soul into the house over the last couple years, fixing it up, only for this to happen.
“Hopefully we can put all this behind us. I’m thankful that I safely delivered a beautiful, healthy baby, who arrived 10 days after her due date.
“As for the makeover, it’s been a great experience after three months of having so much stress and worry. People have been commenting how nice my new hair color looks and I love it, too. The biggest surprise was being told by Mary Alice at the end of the day that we’d get to take home so many of the clothes. I really wasn’t expecting that.
“My favorite thing was doing all these girlie activities. Feeling pretty again. Not worrying about filling in forms, contacting different agencies and sitting on the phone waiting on hold.
“My biggest worry was which color nail polish to pick out.”