A CALL TO SERVE
Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on Oct. 29, 2012, at approximately 8 p.m., causing storm surges in rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. Winds reached hurricane-force levels at 110 mph at one point, knocking down telephone poles and trees. Homes were knocked off their foundations by the strong winds and powerful surges. The states of New York and New Jersey have asked the federal government for $60.4 billion in aid. The impact of Sandy will be felt for years to come, as communities begin the task of rebuilding. Hardest hit areas include the Breezy Point section in Queens, New York; towns along the Jersey Shore, and of course, Hoboken, N.J., where half the homes were flooded. Many Stevens alumni volunteered in the wake of Sandy to help communities with relief efforts. Some have shared their experiences. Dick McCormack ’53 was sitting on the back deck of his La Jolla, California, home in late October, ready to enjoy a Bloody Mary when he heard and saw a TV news program about a woman from Breezy Point, Queens, N.Y. The woman’s home was destroyed by a fast-moving fire that ultimately destroyed 129 homes in the beachfront community, home to many members of the Fire Department of New 14 The Stevens Indicator
York (FDNY). She began to cry heavily as she told TV viewers of the complete loss of her home and her possessions. She spoke of the devastation for herself and her neighbors. Something stirred in McCormack. “I’m sitting on the deck, watching this woman on TV who has lost everything, and I thought to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing here having a Bloody Mary when
people out there have lost so much?’ ’’ McCormack said. So McCormack, who has special memories of Breezy Point, decided to do something. He bought a plane ticket, and decided he was going to help people in that community recover. This past December, he spent more than a week volunteering his time with “Operation Gut and Pump,’’ a volunteerbased group that helped assess the dam-