Cleanup Post-Sandy Can Seem Like 'Mission Impossible'

Ocean Gate family begins long process of cleaning up, repairing extensive damage

Landlord Jerry D’Alessandro wove his arms in excitement and relief as work trucks pulled up to his home in Ocean Gate. Volunteering for the Lacey United Methodist Church, I helped four men — whom I never met before — attack what used to be the primary residence of a family of four before Hurricane Sandy created a storm surge that would obliterate homes all along the Jersey Shore. The stench inside was unbearable. A mask covered my nose and mouth as I still took in the odors of mildew and the Barnegat Bay. Water levels had rose more than a foot that Monday, and fish from the bay were found about the house. The crawl space also was filled with water. The family had already begun moving their belongings to the curb — furniture, boxes of …

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