Kevin Reilly: Keeping the pressure on NY Rising

Kevin reilly led a rally on the boardwalk on Oct. 25, where he and other Hurricane Sandy victims called on New York Rising to correct what they describe as an inefficient rebuilding program that has delayed the return of many residents.

Photos by Kristie Arden

Kevin Reilly is the Long Beach Herald's Person of the Year for 2014.

Kristie Arden/Herald

Reilly and his dog, Marley, in front of his home, which is in the process of being elevated.

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Canals resident Kevin Reilly was having dinner at Swingbellys with his wife, Kristie, last Saturday when a waitress whose parents’ home was damaged by Hurricane Sandy asked him for advice.

“She started talking about how her parents don’t know what to do about elevating their home, and I’m there telling her where to go to get help,” recalled Reilly, 47, adding that elevating can mean the difference between paying $500 per year for flood insurance or $10,000. “Her parents are trying to decide whether they should elevate through the New York Rising program, because they’re hearing the nightmare stories about the hefty flood insurance costs if they don’t raise their house.”

Many residents and local officials say that Reilly has become one of the most vocal advocates of changing the NY Rising program, and is the go-to guy when it comes to explaining the fine print of a reimbursement process that many describe as sluggish and complicated. For his efforts, the Herald is proud to name him its 2014 Person of the Year.

“The great thing about Kevin is that he’ll sit there and read all these reports and technical documents and put it in a way that anyone can understand,” said Reilly’s close friend Tim Kelly, who moved back into his Canals home in October. “When he’s sees a problem with [NY Rising], he puts it out there and tries to get that changed.”

In October, city officials said that fewer than 5 percent of residents remained displaced two years after Sandy — roughly 1,750 people. But while some are preparing to return home, progress for others has stagnated while they wait for grant programs like NY Rising to distribute funds, Reilly said.

Meanwhile, he added, for most people who live north of Sunrise Highway, the storm is nothing more than a memory. “A lot of people think it’s over,” he said, “and that’s really a scary thing, because a lot of the information that comes from the governor’s office is that all the people complaining have received their money.”