“It’s like full circle for us”: New Yorkers who survived Superstorm Sandy now helping those affected by Hurricane Ian

NEW YORK — As the Tri-State Area gets set to mark the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, many in the region can empathize with people affected by storms in Florida.

CBS2’s Alecia Reid spoke to Sandy survivors who are now lending a helping hand.

It’s been almost 10 years since Superstorm Sandy left its mark on our area, but the memories are still fresh for those who lived through it.

“It looked like the apocalypse,” Rockaway Beach resident Thaddeus Schneider said. “It didn’t look real. Houses were falling, cars were tipped.”

Like many others, families in the Rockaways had to rebuild their neighborhood.

“Maybe a month later out of Sandy, we still didn’t have power, we still had, like, mud in some streets,” said Elizabeth Duffy with Rockaway WISH.

Recounting the hardships they survived after that storm, sisters in-law Elizabeth and Lynn Duffy knew they had to do something to help victims of Hurricane Ian as people continue to suffer weeks later.

“I remember, you know, that night and looking at the fires and, you know, no lights. It was just so, so scary. So I just, I hope any little like this might just give somebody a little smile or some relief,” Lynn Duffy said.

So they went to work and raised more than $5,000 in a matter of days. They used the donations to buy hundreds of gift cards, paying it forward after they received a similar gesture a decade ago from friends who live in Florida.

“It was like kind of full circle, I guess, for us since we were the recipient of it 10 years ago,” Elizabeth Duffy said.

It’s not just adults who are contributing; young people are also getting in on the action, spreading words of hope and inspiration with handmade cards.

“Prayers, love from New York, be strong, stay safe, it’s gonna be OK, just inspirational messages,” Elizabeth Duffy said.

In addition to the donations, New Yorkers who experienced Sandy are sharing advice on how to deal with insurance companies and finding the right contractors.