Week 2: The Devastation
This week our Lenten Gift story continues as we introduce the devastating Hurricane Sandy and its impact on residents of Staten Island, particularly those in the St. Margaret Mary Parish located in the Midland Beach area.
Superstorm Sandy – A Hurricane Turned Cyclone Causing Major Devastation
The storm originated in the Caribbean and for ten days gradually made its way through Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas before turning northward up the eastern U.S. seaboard. The storm grew to about 1,000 miles in diameter (twice the size of Hurricane Katrina) and earned the nickname of “Frankenstorm.”
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit Staten Island, located at the mouth of New York harbor, with a combination of strength (winds of 80 mph), astrological high tides and an angle of approach that produced a record storm surge of 16 feet.
The storm surge wiped out homes on the water and flooded neighborhoods up to one mile inland with 8 feet of water. Trees and power lines were down and people were stranded in their homes until emergency personnel could rescue them in boats.
The storm resulted in over 100 deaths, $60 billion in damage, and over 100,000 people being displaced from their homes. New York City officials estimate that nearly 6,000 buildings sustained damage on Staten Island causing occupants to seek temporary lodging elsewhere. People are still recovering from the loss of property and home as they struggle to take care of their most basic needs and attempt to re-build for a future.
St. Margaret Mary Parish
The Parish is located in the Midland Beach section on the east coast of Staten Island, originally a beach community with many one-story bungalow style homes. The parishioners suffered the full brunt of the storm as their homes were severely damaged by the storm surge and resulting flood due to their location on the island’s east coast, the storm’s thirteen inches of rain and the housing stock’s small size and low rise design. Hundreds of families are still struggling to put their lives back together with city officials estimating 300 homes are still without power or heat and another 200 homes classified as uninhabitable because they were destroyed or rendered structurally unsound. While all of this occurred over three months ago, hundreds of families continue to struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. They live in temporary housing, their children are bused to schools far away, and they have lost many of their prized possessions. The parish has established a relief fund which has been very successful but the proceeds go out as fast as they are raised due to the community’s great need. Our St. John’s 2013 Lenten Gift will go to this fund.
Next Week: We introduce one of the impacted St. Margaret Mary parish families and their struggle to Rebuild in Faith.
St John’s Parish will again show its solidarity with those in need by collecting funds for a Lenten Gift. This year’s gift will be: Rebuilding in Faith – Supporting St. Margaret Mary’s Parish, Staten Island, NY after Hurricane Sandy’s Devastation. Throughout Lent, the plight of this coastal parish community serving the Midland Beach area and its “grass roots” effort to rebuild peoples’ homes and lives will be shared with you in our weekly parish bulletins and on the parish website.
A thank you to our parishioners for the tremendous support that St. John the Evangelist gave to Haiti Marycare through our Advent vitamin collection. “…Thank you for not forgetting the Haitian people and for trusting us to deliver and distribute your donations properly. We know in directing the work of Haiti Marycare, part of our responsibility is to tell the people of Haiti of the caring shown to them by their friends at St. John’s. You can be sure we will take great honor and pride in telling them of your great kindness. You have all made a huge difference in many people’s lives…” Please click 
The Christmas Wish Program, which supplies Christmas gifts to more than 400 children in need, is well underway. Please consider a financial donation to this wonderful program during the Season of Advent. If you have any questions, please feel free to email 
To one and all who responded our Parish Lenten call to give, whose hearts traveled the distance to East Africa, entered the refugee camps and shared in easing the suffering. We thank you! Our parish gift of $14,450 holds a value not to be measured, as it becomes part of the CRS response to a famine and human suffering unspeakable proportions. Once again, as for so many years past, St. John’s Parish has given generously and thereby has once again Given Hope! Thank you!
