31 Years

USA. Brooklyn, NY. Sea Gate. 2012. Mansura Khanam

The Sea Gate community in Coney Island, Brooklyn lay ravaged by Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012.  Homes along the ocean’s edge were hardest hit, with surge waters bowling over concrete foundations, obliterating walls, and exposing belongings to wind, water, sand and light.

Maria and Angelo D’Angelis and their children Pasquale, Lidia and Louisa of Sea Gate, Brooklyn, lost their home of 31 years.  When I met them, this Italian-American family with deep roots in Sea Gate were stunned at the extent of the damage.  Maria marveled that after she had evacuated, she remembered forgetting to bring in the potted plant from the veranda.  She expected losing the plant would be the worst of it; never imagining her house would be ripped apart or the plant washing up into her kitchen.  The family is currently staying with Maria’s sister and extended family.

Exposed

USA. Brooklyn, NY. Sea Gate. 2012. Mansura Khanam

The Sea Gate community in Coney Island, Brooklyn lay ravaged by Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012.  Homes along the ocean’s edge were hardest hit, with surge waters bowling over concrete foundations, obliterating walls, and exposing belongings to wind, water, sand and light. Images pictured in this gallery include the home of Teri Liberi. The contents of her closet hung eerily, beautifully as if in a doll house in what remains of Ms. Liberi’s home in the aftermath of the hurricane. For me, this home crystalized the basic human need to seek shelter and how much we suffer when overexposed to the elements.