Hurricane victims striving for normalcy

“Life as we knew it changed so much, and we need to focus on a new way of life,” Inwood resident Eleanor Grimando said as she stood at the kitchen counter in her new prefabricated house, nearly a year after Hurricane Sandy left her with no choice but to demolish her childhood home on Bayswater Boulevard.
Grimando, her husband and their 9-year-old son stayed with her parents on Doughty Boulevard until they were able to move in at the end of August. “I’m still trying to get used to it,” she said of her new home, which is 14 feet above sea level. “As great as it is to be home, for me it’s been an adjustment.”
Memories of the storm are never far from Grimando’s mind. “The day after the storm, my husband and I returned to our home to find boats and personal belongings in the street, and everyone was outside crying,” she recounted. “The storm took more than just our homes; it took a piece of every one of us.”
Woodmere resident Dror Zar said that since his family moved back into their Barnard Street home in May, it has been important for them to get back into a routine. “We’re trying to get life back to normal,” Zar said. “We gained a new respect for Mother Nature, and not to stress about the little things.”
As the Oct. 29 anniversary of the storm nears, Zar said, residents are hoping for the best. “Speaking to other families that have been through this, there is definitely some anxiety,” he said. “Everyone hopes it won’t happen again, but every time you watch the news, you miss a heartbeat when you hear the word ‘hurricane.’”
Gail Siciliano, who lives in Cedarhurst, said that her entire first floor, the heating and air conditioning systems and the water heater were damaged in the storm. “It seems like this year went really fast, but it hasn’t been easy,” she said. “We only have the bathroom left to complete, so we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”