Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Gerritsen Beach's Zone B Horror: "No One Was Ready" For Storm Surge
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 2, 2012
Modified Nov 2, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 11
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 2, 2012
Modified Nov 2, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gerritsen Beach, the little peninsula community in Brooklyn, was designateded as Zone B, so residents weren't worried when Mayor Bloomberg ordered a mandatory evacuation of Zone A as Hurricane Sandy barreled our way. But when the intense storm hit, homes were ravaged, with the surge brining 5-8 feet of water to flood houses. Daniel Cavanagh, lieutenant with the volunteer Gerritsen Beach Fire Department, tells us, "No one was ready, no one had medications," as he and other "vollies" rescued frantic residents from their homes all night.
Cavanagh, who also runs GerritsenBeach.net, and his colleagues had been steadily fielding calls on Monday. and as the storm got stronger they kept coming. By the 6:30-8:30 p.m. period when high tide was hitting the flooding was steady. Besides worrying about getting residents (including an elderly woman in a wheelchair) to safety, firefighters had to worry about protecting the fire engine from the rising water!
They nearly lost the fire engine twice as the surge powered down Gerritsen Avenue, which is the only way in and out of Gerritsen Beach. Cavanagh says the surge went from the water's end of the avenue all the way to the school, nearly a mile away!
Residents trying to leave by car found that the surge was coming too fast and the water killed their engines. They abandoned their cars, some with infants in their hands, and started walking away from water, trying to make it through the lake-like intersections. Cavanagh says it was like a scene out of The Walking Dead, with people walking in the streets "like zombies" as cars floated away. He didn't stop working until 4:30 a.m. and the next day he was there at 8 a.m., to help with more rescues. He worked Wednesday and Thursday too.
The community is still without power. While there's hope that water can be turned on soon, when power was restored to Manhattan Beach there were numerous fires from the sea water's reaction with the electrical wiring (many electrical panels are in basements, which were flooded). Yesterday, a 67-year-old man was found dead in his home on Dare Court in Gerritsen Beach—he was apparently trapped in his basement—and State Senator Marty Golden announced, "I issued a request to NYC Office of Emergency Management asking that Gerritsen Beach be reclassified as a Zone A for evacuation declaration."
If you want to donate to the victims in Gerritsen Beach, you can bring them to Resurrection School (2335 Gerritsen Avenue) but the school needs to be ready for students on Monday, so bring your donations before Sunday evening. The Gerritsen Beach Fire Department at 52 Seba Avenue is also accepting donations. These are the items most needed: Non-perishable foods, Industrial brooms & rakes, Toothbrushes, Work gloves, Bleach, Toothpaste, Work boots, Construction Masks, Deodorants, New Socks, Hand Sanitizer Soap, Adult Diapers, Heavy duty garbage bags, Baby Wipes, New Underwear, Batteries (all sizes), Toiletries and Blankets. You can also donate money to the Gerritsen Beach Fire Department's fund.
When asked if victims might want gift cards to Target or Home Depot, Cavanagh grimly noted, "How are they going to get there? Their cars are toast."
Tagged
brooklyn
flooding
gerritsen beach
horror story
hurricane sandy
zone b
original
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .