Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Photos: Hurricane Sandy's Wrath On The Rockaways' Belle Harbor


By

John Del Signore

Published Nov 8, 2012

Modified Nov 8, 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 .

View all 14


By

John Del Signore

Published Nov 8, 2012

Modified Nov 8, 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

This was the scene Tuesday in the tightly-knit neighborhood of Bell Harbor on the Rockaway peninsula, where Hurricane Sandy thundered through with a merciless vengeance. The small neighborhood, which boasts what's believed to be the most expensive block of Queens, was severely clobbered by the storm, and over a week later it still looks like a war zone. Photographer Melanie Rose toured the area this week; here's what she saw.

On Sunday, the U.S. Navy stepped in to assist homeowners in the neighborhood, sending in 29 sailors to help bail out homes and provide any other help needed. But as you can see, there is still an enormous amount to be done, and to that end volunteers are working out of a command center in nearby St. Francis de Sales Church, where relief supplies have piled up. “We are living in third-world conditions,” one resident bluntly told CBS 2 yesterday.

For information on how to volunteer your time or supplies to recovery efforts in the Rockaways, here's a good place to start.

Tagged

belle harbor

far rockaway

frankenstorm

hurricane sandy

the rockaways


John Del Signore

Twitter

Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

NYC looks to grow involvement in Open Streets as applications open for 2027

The Mamdani administration bolstered funding this year and is asking applicants to suggest infrastructure upgrades.

By

Catalina Gonella

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 12:52 p.m. ET


New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use

A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.

By

Rosemary Misdary

News

New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use

A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.

By

Rosemary Misdary


Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center

By

James Ramsay

Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says

By

Brittany Kriegstein

NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say

By

Caroline Lewis


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 .