FEMA's answer for NY storm victims: Put 'em back in their homes - CNN

FEMA's answer for NY storm victims: Put 'em back in their homes

By David Ariosto, CNN

Updated 0116 GMT (0916 HKT) November 15, 2012

David McCue stands near the roof of his beach house, which was completely demolished by Superstorm Sandy, in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, on Sunday, November 25. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/gallery/sandy-damage/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>See photos of the immediate aftermath of Sandy.</strong></a>
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – David McCue stands near the roof of his beach house, which was completely demolished by Superstorm Sandy, in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, on Sunday, November 25. See photos of the immediate aftermath of Sandy.
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Utility workers replace a pole Sunday that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Utility workers replace a pole Sunday that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
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Old photographs are laid out to dry on a car hood on Sunday after being removed from a home in Seaside Heights.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Old photographs are laid out to dry on a car hood on Sunday after being removed from a home in Seaside Heights.
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Rena McCain cleans out the first floor of her home in Seaside Heights on Sunday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Rena McCain cleans out the first floor of her home in Seaside Heights on Sunday.
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Little remains of this home in Union Beach, New Jersey, on Tuesday, November 20, after Superstorm Sandy devastated the area.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Little remains of this home in Union Beach, New Jersey, on Tuesday, November 20, after Superstorm Sandy devastated the area.
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Wilma Marrero and son Joseph Kendall wait in line about five hours Tuesday for food and other items from a Coney Island distribution point in Brooklyn, New York.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Wilma Marrero and son Joseph Kendall wait in line about five hours Tuesday for food and other items from a Coney Island distribution point in Brooklyn, New York.
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Volunteers on Tuesday remove flooring from a Keansburg, New Jersey, home damaged by the storm.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Volunteers on Tuesday remove flooring from a Keansburg, New Jersey, home damaged by the storm.
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People walk along a beach in the heavily damaged Rockaway neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York on Friday, November 16.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People walk along a beach in the heavily damaged Rockaway neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York on Friday, November 16.
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Amy Neukom works to remove sand from her parents' house in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Friday -- a result of Superstorm Sandy.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Amy Neukom works to remove sand from her parents' house in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Friday -- a result of Superstorm Sandy.
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Residents wait for free food in a parking lot in Rockaway on Friday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Residents wait for free food in a parking lot in Rockaway on Friday.
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President Barack Obama embraces a local resident on Cedar Grove Avenue during a visit to Staten Island on Thursday, November 15.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – President Barack Obama embraces a local resident on Cedar Grove Avenue during a visit to Staten Island on Thursday, November 15.
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People receive free sandwiches from a mobile food distribution center in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Thursday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People receive free sandwiches from a mobile food distribution center in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Thursday.
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Residents take free clothing Thursday at the Ocean Bay Action Center in Queens.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Residents take free clothing Thursday at the Ocean Bay Action Center in Queens.
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A tattered U.S. flag flies over the storm-damaged boardwalk in the Rockaway section of Queens on Thursday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A tattered U.S. flag flies over the storm-damaged boardwalk in the Rockaway section of Queens on Thursday.
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Lisa Baney walks back toward her family's home in Bay Head, New Jersey, after taking a photo of a neighbor's destroyed house Wednesday, November 14.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Lisa Baney walks back toward her family's home in Bay Head, New Jersey, after taking a photo of a neighbor's destroyed house Wednesday, November 14.
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A living room is filled with sand Wednesday washed in by Superstorm Sandy in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Two weeks after the storm hit, many residents of the seaside town remain without power.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A living room is filled with sand Wednesday washed in by Superstorm Sandy in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Two weeks after the storm hit, many residents of the seaside town remain without power.
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People wait in line to receive free food from the American Red Cross on Wednesday in the heavily damaged Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York. Thousands are still without power and heat.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People wait in line to receive free food from the American Red Cross on Wednesday in the heavily damaged Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York. Thousands are still without power and heat.
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People walk past a destroyed miniature golf attraction Wednesday in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People walk past a destroyed miniature golf attraction Wednesday in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
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Heavy equipment operator Bill Unger carries photos he salvaged from a mass dump of household possessions on Tuesday in the Midland Beach area of the Staten Island. Unger said he's been collecting the photos as he cleans and taking them to his daughter, who is posting them on Facebook for neighborhood residents to find and later collect.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Heavy equipment operator Bill Unger carries photos he salvaged from a mass dump of household possessions on Tuesday in the Midland Beach area of the Staten Island. Unger said he's been collecting the photos as he cleans and taking them to his daughter, who is posting them on Facebook for neighborhood residents to find and later collect.
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People wait in line to collect some of the 1,500 donated coats from New York Cares on Tuesday in Queens. The charity started its annual coat drive early this year to assist those affected by Superstorm Sandy. It hopes to collect 200,000 coats this winter.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People wait in line to collect some of the 1,500 donated coats from New York Cares on Tuesday in Queens. The charity started its annual coat drive early this year to assist those affected by Superstorm Sandy. It hopes to collect 200,000 coats this winter.
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A woman walks past debris on Rockaway Beach on Tuesday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A woman walks past debris on Rockaway Beach on Tuesday.
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A New York police officer jumps over a large crack in a boardwalk in Brooklyn on Wednesday, November 14. The boardwalk was damaged by the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A New York police officer jumps over a large crack in a boardwalk in Brooklyn on Wednesday, November 14. The boardwalk was damaged by the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy.
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Insurance claims adjusters walk past burned-out houses Wednesday in the Breezy Point section of Queens, New York. A fire that broke out in the neighborhood during the storm destroyed more than 100 homes.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Insurance claims adjusters walk past burned-out houses Wednesday in the Breezy Point section of Queens, New York. A fire that broke out in the neighborhood during the storm destroyed more than 100 homes.
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A family friend of a drowning victim of Superstorm Sandy looks through household debris in New York on Tuesday, November 13.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A family friend of a drowning victim of Superstorm Sandy looks through household debris in New York on Tuesday, November 13.
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A man looks through the home of a drowning victim Tuesday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A man looks through the home of a drowning victim Tuesday.
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Children wait to board buses to temporary schools in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Tuesday. The Rockaways peninsula was hit especially hard when Sandy barreled into the East Coast on October 29, unleashing a record storm surge that flooded low-lying areas and fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Children wait to board buses to temporary schools in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Tuesday. The Rockaways peninsula was hit especially hard when Sandy barreled into the East Coast on October 29, unleashing a record storm surge that flooded low-lying areas and fierce winds that toppled trees and power lines.
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A home damaged by Sandy is seen in Union Beach, New Jersey, on Monday, November 12.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A home damaged by Sandy is seen in Union Beach, New Jersey, on Monday, November 12.
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A resident of Breezy Point in Queens walks past houses destroyed by fire during Sandy on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A resident of Breezy Point in Queens walks past houses destroyed by fire during Sandy on Monday.
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Shoes are set out to dry Monday on the steps of a house in an area that was completely flooded on the south side of Staten Island in New York City.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Shoes are set out to dry Monday on the steps of a house in an area that was completely flooded on the south side of Staten Island in New York City.
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Dale Freeman stands in his water-damaged apartment in a public housing building that still doesn't have power on Monday in Brooklyn. About 58,000 customers in the Rockaways, Long Island and Brooklyn require more extensive repairs before electricity can be restored.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Dale Freeman stands in his water-damaged apartment in a public housing building that still doesn't have power on Monday in Brooklyn. About 58,000 customers in the Rockaways, Long Island and Brooklyn require more extensive repairs before electricity can be restored.
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Residents who returned to their damaged homes line up for a hot meal served from a Red Cross vehicle on Samson Avenue in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Residents who returned to their damaged homes line up for a hot meal served from a Red Cross vehicle on Samson Avenue in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Monday.
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A home damaged by Sandy lists in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A home damaged by Sandy lists in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
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One room has power Monday in Rockaway, where many areas are still without electricity. "If you don't have your power back, it probably means power can't be restored to your home at this time," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday afternoon.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – One room has power Monday in Rockaway, where many areas are still without electricity. "If you don't have your power back, it probably means power can't be restored to your home at this time," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday afternoon.
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Debris strewen by Superstorm Sandy sits piled outside a damaged home in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Debris strewen by Superstorm Sandy sits piled outside a damaged home in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
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People line up to receive donated items from Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Brooklyn on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People line up to receive donated items from Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Brooklyn on Monday.
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People gather for donated food beneath a spotlight in an area still without power on Monday in Rockaway.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – People gather for donated food beneath a spotlight in an area still without power on Monday in Rockaway.
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Roofers repair damage Monday on a home in the Annadale neighborhood of Staten Island.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – Roofers repair damage Monday on a home in the Annadale neighborhood of Staten Island.
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An SUV sits atop the debris from a home in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – An SUV sits atop the debris from a home in Mantoloking, New Jersey, on Monday.
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A woman makes her way past trash piles in Lower Manhattan on Monday.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A woman makes her way past trash piles in Lower Manhattan on Monday.
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A man looks through donated clothes and supplies at nightfall Monday in Rockaway.
Photos: Photos: Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy
Long, slow recovery from Superstorm Sandy – A man looks through donated clothes and supplies at nightfall Monday in Rockaway.
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Story highlights

  • Program creates package of fixes to get people back into their homes
  • More than 17,000 households remain without power across New York
  • That doesn't include more than 30,000 who "are unable to safely receive power"
  • Rental vacancies across New York City are less than 5%. Hotels are already packed
In the aftermath of one of the worst weather systems to hit the Northeast, finding adequate shelter is the big concern.
What to do with displaced residents, whose homes were rendered dark, cold and powerless by Superstorm Sandy, is now the question plaguing emergency management officials across the Tri-State area.
FEMA's answer for New York: Fix up the homes as best they can and put people back in them.
Faced with a lack of physical space for FEMA trailers and limited access to available rental apartments and hotels, FEMA officials in New York said they are bent on making flood-soaked homes inhabitable as winter weather moves in.
Jersey City takes 1-2 punch
"New York is a unique housing environment," said Michael Byrne, federal coordinating officer for FEMA, on Wednesday. "We had to come up with something."
The agency's typical approach to disaster relief, such as the widespread use of emergency trailers for displaced residents and long-term rental assistance, doesn't work as well in the Big Apple.
Rental housing vacancies across New York City are less than 5%, while holiday season hotel rooms are packed with tourists and travelers, leaving few options for those in need of shelter, authorities said.
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Adding to the dilemma, crowding persists in the city's public housing units, where more than 160,000 families were on the waiting list before the storm.
Can Christie capitalize politically on Sandy?
Officials are expected to focus on getting power restored in places where the sheer extent of the electrical damage has made utility companies cautious about reconnecting homes to the power grid.
They will also implement structural repairs to make the homes adequate shelters for incoming winter weather. Repairs could include tarps, plastic and plywood.
Map: See images of destruction, recovery across the East Coast
FEMA is putting forth "an essential package of necessary fixes so that people can get back into their homes," said Byrne. "This is not a complete repair."
More than 17,000 households remain without power across New York. That does not include more than 30,000 customers who "are unable to safely receive power without customer repairs," according to the Long Island Power Authority.
Long Island residents sue utility
In hard-hit places like the Rockaways and Staten Island, where residents have often clung to their damp homes instead of evacuating, officials said the new program will better cater to the stark realities of the crisis.
"Our home is not that destroyed. We don't have no heat (and) it's very cold in the apartment," said Margaret Alvarez, a 41-year-old resident of Far Rockaway, Queens.
"We just need heat, water and electricity."
Residents like Alvarez, whose homes are damaged but not destroyed, are likely FEMA's target customers.
But reservations about safety persist.
Opinion: Don't rebuild
"My house shifted about 5 inches," said Joanne McClenin, 55, a New Dorp resident of Staten Island. "We don't know if the quick repair ... is going to be safe enough."
A thicket of downed houses and washed-out roads lines several blocks in the New Dorp area after a torrent of wind and water swept across the coastal neighborhood on October 29.
"I don't know how minor repairs get you back in your home," she said.
Sandy amplifies struggles for low-income families
Others seemed somewhat encouraged by the federal plan.
"There are a lot of people that don't have their own contractors, so it's a good program for those people," said Dawn Nasella, a 41-year-old resident of Staten Island, whose rental property was destroyed in the storm.
But the program is not meant to address the needs of those made homeless. That displaced population has mostly inhabited hundreds of city shelters, holed up with friends and family members or taken to living in more perilous places, like their cars.
Costs of Sandy in the billions
Meanwhile, signs of normalcy continued to surface across the Tri-State area.
But those still in the dark require inspectors to go door-to-door to check individual electrical panels to avoid further damage and potential electrical fires, raising the possibility of a long and cold winter for those still without proper shelter.
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