In Gerritsen Beach in southeastern Brooklyn, near Marine Park, people are experiencing intense post-Sandy hardship. The flood damage to the area was severe, and residents have no prospect of power being restored anytime soon; one resident heard that Gerritsen Beach would trail at least seven days behind lower Manhattan in powering up again. I met a father and son who are living on their roof, due to catastrophic flood damage to their single-story home. Many households are almost out of gasoline, with no methods of cooking or heating available to them. In every home I visited, the ground floor was sodden and covered in sludge. A strong, muddy-chemical smell pervaded the damp air. 

People in this part of the city feel forgotten and cut-off, that their prospects are grim. They are steeling themselves for the unknown number of cold, dark days and nights ahead of them. Thankfully, the Red Cross is on the scene, and you can donate here.