Fugitive at the Beach House

In the face of tragedy, we move forward

It seems unreal that almost a week has passed since the effects of Hurricane Sandy were felt on the East coast of New Jersey. The storm made landfall on Oct. 29 and life on the barrier islands here will never be the same.

The photo at right shows our street, Seventh Avenue, Ortley Beach, to the far right. The iconic Joey Harrison's Surf Club is at the lower right. My home is at the top right of the photo, a white house with a small white house behind it. Ocean waters filled them both, blowing out windows, tearing off our new roof in sheets, and filling our yard with debris from other homes.

I'm not yet sure of the extent of the damage, but our home is still standing. Those that held a coveted place along the ocean front have disappeared, or been moved to a new location by furious ocean waves. This destruction was repeated all along the barrier islands and my heart breaks for my neighbors.

Homes were not the only things lost; dreams, times shared with loved ones, security for the future and the sense of accomplishment and pride that owning a home or a business provides were washed away or pummeled into the broken pieces of our lives in a matter of moments. For those of us who have not been allowed to return to our homes because of the dangerous surroundings, seeing the destruction only in newscasts or on the internet, there is still a sense that this is all a nightmare; surreal, maybe we will wake up and things will be as they were. 

Still, we wait anxiously to be able to return and gather together something of what might be left, or assess whether there is an opportunity to repair or rebuild. The waiting, and worrying, gnaws away at our hearts and minds, making it difficult to carry on with the rest of our lives. But there is work to do even now.

While we wait for word about changing conditions in Ortley Beach and the surrounding areas, and hope we will soon be allowed over the bridges, there are a number of things we can do to prepare to file insurance claims and applications for FEMA assistance with as much information as possible. “Doing something” also gives us a sense of having some control over our lives and moves us toward making plans for the future.

First: Call your insurance companies and ask what needs to be done to begin the claim process. Have insurance policies and numbers handy when calling and keep all information together in a water resistant folder. File an application with FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or on-line at disasterassistance.gov. If applying on-line, print out completed application and confirmation number and add to claim folder.

Second: Draw up an inventory of every item you can remember, one room or area at a time, including inside and outside areas. Include item description, and estimated value, if replaceable at all. Don’t forget items in sheds or in trunks of vehicles that were destroyed. Include an estimate for all food stuffs lost, as well.

Third: Search for photos that will serve as “before” pictures for all areas of your home and property and items lost. If these photos are already on your computer, copy them into a separate folder for Hurricane Sandy claims. If they are on your camera, upload them to a computer file immediately. If you do not have computer access, take your phone to CVS or Walgreens and ask them to put photos on a CD for you. The cost is nominal. Save all photos on a back-up flash drive as well, and keep in safe (memorable) place. If photos are on paper, scan and save copies to computer file, or take photos to local CVS or Walgreens, or the like, and have copies made. Write all contact information and identifying information on the back of each photo so they may be sent to your insurance company with your claim.

Fourth: Gather together those items you will need to return to your home, even if just for a brief time to get belongings, secure your home, or do some clean-up. Include facemasks (medical or contractor); heavy duty gloves; heavy duty plastic bags; duct tape (don’t leave home without it); measuring tape, notebook, pencil, antibacterial wipes, bandaids and paper towels. Depending on how residents will be allowed to return (driving own vehicle or being bussed in, etc.) you may want to bring a shovel to remove sand. Wear heavy soled shoes to avoid being injured by stepping on debris. Bring bottled water.

Fifth: Charge cameras (and phones) and, when allowed to return to home, take photos of house from all angles, outside, and if home is safe to enter, take photos of every room and all belongings. Include sheds, fences, and vehicles. Videos are a good option, as well. Take photos before beginning clean-up or repairs or demolition.

Sixth: Stay close to your faith community. The emotional and spiritual support will be invaluable. in this time of stress and need. Remember, this is a time for us to embrace each other as members of one community; to share our resources and be blessings to each other. Don't hesitate to ask for help, express your emotions, or extend your hand to help someone else. These are all steps to recovery.

Keep abreast of press releases and email notifications from Ocean County, http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/ and Toms River Township, http://tomsrivertownship.com, or 732-341-1000. If you are still without power and cannot access email or the Internet, ask a family member or friend with power to keep you updated.

Additional links: Ocean County Department of Emergency Management: http://www.co.ocean.nj.us/EMMgmt/Main.aspx

New Jersey Office of Emergency Management: http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/

American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/nj/tinton-falls

National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/

 

Hopefully, Ortley Beach will continue to be a great place to vacation, but probably not this year

For the past 13 years, we have encouraged visitors to consider Ortley Beach as a place for a wonderful vacation, offering photos of our home on the Ocean block of Seventh Avenue as a place to rent. Now, standing amid the devastation from Hurricane Sandy, we know that such invitations take a back seat to a long period of recovery for this town, and the whole of the barrier islands.

I am grateful for grassroots organizations like Stop FEMA Now, who are asking and demanding answers to the hard questions, while home owners/tax payers either begin the process of restoring their homes or sit in limbo as they try to decide what decision regarding their homes will be the least financially and emotionally damaging.

Some of the wonderful places just around the corner from us -- the bagel shop, ice cream parlor, deli, restaurants, laundry mat, Chinese restaurant, and Barnacle Bill’s seem to be in various stages of recovery.  We are delighted to be able to frequent Bakin' Bagels whenever we get some time to work on our home. Not having electricity or gas prevents cooking, of course, so hot coffee and great food are always welcomed for hard working home owners and their crew of families and friends.

While the Seaside Heights boardwalk is now officially open, and I am happy for the business owners there who have lost so much, it just raises more questions for me on why my community is still so far away from recovery.

Originally I believed whole heartedly that the spirit of the Ortley community is strong, and things would return to normal, but in reality even the strongest of spirits can become weary when the number of obstacles to overcome become too great.

Still, we are moving forward with restoring our home and plan to be there as soon as we can get it all together, hopeful that our neighbors will be in a place to do the same, and won't just walk away leaving the devastation behind them.

Keep your eyes on the seagulls if you want the fish

Having moved from the status of Benny to that of Local during the past few years at the Jersey shore I thought I had a pretty good handle on shore life.

But one late afternoon walk along the beach in October taught me that I had a lot to learn—about fishing.

Leaning on the boardwalk rail, I watched what I thought was a strange phenomenon unfold. Groups of fishermen and fisherwomen were all decked out with their fishing stuff along the water’s edge—coolers, rods, bait, boots and heavy socks, warm and waterproof clothes and a real enthusiasm for what they were undertaking. There seemed to be lots of good natured bantering going on and everyone appeared settled in to their own spot on the beach.

Then suddenly, as if some voice heard only by people with fishing poles had loudly announced, "STAGE LEFT," the whole group began moving in unison down the beach. I looked around to see if I had missed something; a brawl maybe, or a turned-over kayak, anything that might have spurred the group, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Thinking it was just a fluke, I repositioned myself against the railing and continued my daydreaming.

Not five minutes later, the whole group again began their shift down the beach.

"What the heck is going on?" I thought to myself, again trying to figure out the impetus for the sudden move.

When it happened a third time I finally experienced the "AHA!" moment.

Seagulls.

It seemed everyone but me knew that when seagulls hover, or swoop and dive, over a spot in the surf, there are fish. When the birds changed position so did a beach full of people.

As I was watching I thought of Jesus’ words, "I will make you fishers of men."

Now, more than 2,000 years later, we are a Church filled with people called to be fisher men and women, but we often remain uncertain as to where to cast our lines.

But the signs are there. What is required of us is attention.

From his deathbed in 1963, Pope John XXIII emphasized a conviction which stood at the heart of Vatican II: "It is not that the Gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have …were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunities and to look far ahead."

The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, one of the documents coming out of the Second Vatican Council, relays the same thought, "… the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel … We must therefore recognize and understand the world in which we live, its explanations, its longings, and its often dramatic characteristics."

As the people who make up the Body of Christ we must continue to discern the signs and embrace the opportunities we have to be light in the world; we must look hard and honestly at our longings, personally and communally, and consider how the fruits of those longings are manifested, for good or for ill. We need to ask ourselves what influences affect our families, our communities, our schools, our attitudes, our behavior. How can our response in faith make a difference?

I’ve discovered that it is not enough to rest comfortably against the railing and daydream. We must be awake and aware and enthusiastic enough to actually fish if we are to make a difference in our world, in our families and in our Church. Otherwise we will be left behind on an empty beach while the secular world moves along—with our faith in tow.