State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr.
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr.’s district encompasses an area in Queens destroyed by Hurricane Sandy and another area that went almost untouched by the storm, so he had the unique ability to peer into the lives of those devastated by the storm and those helping out from nearby.
Addabbo’s district contains Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and the Rockaways.
“North of Howard Beach you were in a different world,” Addabbo said.
The legislator spent much of his time orchestrating donations and volunteers between the citizens of the northern and southern parts of his district. He would ask people in places like Middle Village and Ridgewood to bring down certain items for the people of neighborhoods like Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach.
“It was amazing how people stepped across the line to help,” Addabbo said.
His own home in Tudor Village had a little damage and his main district office was wiped away but Addabbo said that he could not even begin to talk about either of those personal tragedies because there were other people who were so much more severely hit. There were deaths in his district, including a family that watched their mother die in Rockaway.
There were people who lost all of their belongings.
“You can replace a living room, you can replace a kitchen” but some of what was lost is irreplaceable, he said.
Addabbo said he and his staff went door-to-door in Hamilton Beach and Howard Beach assessing people’s needs. What he found out was people needed accurate information, food and supplies.
His office became a drop off point for donations. His staff would take shifts covering the drop-off center because they needed someone at the site at all times to receive the supplies. He said there were so many supplies dropped off there that “it looked like a Target exploded.” People were being very generous with their time and money.
Now, he remains involved in Hurricane Sandy recovery.
“We are still trying to get people and businesses back on their feet; we are making sure people get back on their feet,” Addabbo said.
Now he and his district are more prepared for the next storm. They look at the storm season differently, now going into it prepared for a storm to come at anytime.
“We live our lives differently both as an individual and as a government,” Addabbo said. “Superstorm Sandy was a game-changer and life-changer.”
By Kerry Goleski
