Video: David Lee Miller reports from Staten Island

Submitted by Samuel Bendett

news.yahoo.com - January 25th, 2013 - Perry Chiaramonte

The brutal cold snap affecting much of the country is taking a devastating toll on victims of superstorm Sandy, many of whom are camped out in tent cities or living in homes without power, heat or running water.

Those unable to get proper lodging have hunkered down in their homes without the basic necessities of heat, electricity, or running water.

“Many families in Union Beach are using space heaters to warm upstairs,” said Jeanette Van Houten, a resident from the small New Jersey town that was among the hardest-hit communities. “There’s people with no heat, no electric, but they are staying in the house because it’s better than having to deal with FEMA and having to leave hotels every two weeks.

Damage in the Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., where the historic boardwalk was washed away during Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 31, 2012. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

propublica.org - by Theodoric Meyer - January 18, 2013

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Congress passed two relief bills almost unanimously. But when it comes to Hurricane Sandy, some in Congress seem to have had a change of heart.

In total, 58 representatives voted against bills this month similar to ones that they had supported after Katrina.

Here's a breakdown of how each of them voted on the two Katrina bills and the two Sandy ones:

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

March 23, 2006 - Final Report on New York City Emergency Response and Evacuation Plans in the Event of a Weather-Related Emergency (33 page .PDF file)
http://www.greatestchallenge.org/documents/hurricane_report.pdf

September 15, 2005 - Preliminary Report on New York City Emergency Response and Evacuation Plans in the Event of a Weather-Related Emergency (20 page .PDF file)
http://www.monticellonys.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/NYC-OEM-Brodsky-Hurricane-Evacuation-Report-2006-.pdf

“People would stop evacuating simply because they were unable to evacuate.”
-New York City Hurricane Evacuation Behavioral Analysis, April 2005

                                   (CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS)

submitted by Naomi Rothwell - January 9, 2013

Friday, January 4th, 2013. Tonight we delivered cases of much needed drinking water to a refugee camp in Staten Island. The camp is on Cedar Grove Ave in New Dorp, SI. The wrecked homes in the album are the homes owned by the people in the tents. The tents are serving as a refugee camp, and are not at all like the tents we've seen in Rockaway. There are anywhere from 150-300 people using the tents throughout each day, but far fewer that are using them as primary shelter. At night, there are a few dozen living in cars or tents.

Report from:

Dennis Saleeby
Citizen Volunteer
Field Operations Director
NY Resilience System

thinkprogress.org - by Aviva Shen - January 18, 2013

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) did not hesitate to attack his fellow House Republicans after they refused to hold a vote on providing disaster relief funds to states affected by Hurricane Sandy. After public shaming, the House finally passed a bare-bones aid package on January 4.

But King has not forgotten his colleagues who tried to block funds for the devastated regions of New York and New Jersey.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

nydis.org                                          

The Disaster Distress Helpline: 
The Disaster Distress Helpline offers 24/7/365 disaster crisis counseling and support to anyone, anywhere in the US via a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline (1-800-985-5990) and SMS (text ‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746; Spanish-speakers can text ‘Hablanos’ to 66746).  Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Call: 800-985-5990
• Text ‘TalkWithUS’ to 66746, Spanish speakers can text ‘Hablanos’ to 66746
   For more information on the Disaster Distress Helpline and disaster distress, coping tips, materials
   and more, please visit http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/ or contact Joe Samalin, Outreach and
   Training manager at ***@***.***
   twitter.com/distressline#

CNN iReport - by Doug Kuntz - January 21, 2013

Three days after Congress passes The Sandy Relief Bill, as critical needs continue in the New York area, Third Wave Volunteer Alison Thompson gives a second report from The Rockaways.

As the first sustained cold weather settles into the area, thousands upon thousands remain without heat and electric.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-913656

A man stands on the debris of homes devastated by fire and the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the Breezy Point section of the Queens borough in New York January 15, 2013.  Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

CNN - by Deirdre Walsh and Kevin Liptak - January 15, 2013

Washington (CNN) - Lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved measures Tuesday to send more than $50 billion in aid to the Northeastern states ravaged by Superstorm Sandy last fall, though some conservatives in the House were pushing for spending cuts that would offset the cost of the recovery package.

The final bill passed 241-180, with 49 Republicans voting against it. The package now heads to the Senate.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Also see related information - Vote on Sandy Disaster Aid and Amendments, and other articles below:

House passes $50.5 billion in Sandy aid, Republicans trim items
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-storm-sandy-relief-passage-idUSBRE90F01420130116

Calling all snowbirds! Tell all your friends in South Florida that they should head to Deck 84 in Delray Beach this Sunday, Jan 20th, for a great time and a great cause ...

Flu shots are a hot commodity in New York City.  Kristian Sekulic/Getty Images

Some area pharmacies and urgent care facilities were already out of flu shots Sunday, a day after Gov. Cuomo declared this influenza season a statewide public health emergency

nydailynews.com - by Erin Durkin and Edgar Sandoval - January 13, 2013

A rush on flu shots sparked by Gov. Cuomo’s health emergency declaration has left some city pharmacies and urgent care facilities empty handed.

“We ran out,” said Dr. Mark Melrose, an emergency physician and owner of Urgent Care Manhattan on Amsterdam Ave. on the upper West Side.

Melrose said his supply went dry Saturday after doling out 10 times the normal number of flu shots to victims of the coughing—sneezing-head-feverish epidemic sweeping the nation.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Mary Ann Werner from New York is given a flu shot by Medical Assistant Klarisa Feliciano at the medical offices of Yaffe Ruden & Associates  in New York on Jan. 10, 2013.  TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

State is experiencing worst flu season since at least 2009, Cuomo says

nydailynews.com - by Denis Slattery and Dareh Gregorian - January 12, 2013

This flu season is nothing to sneeze at.

Gov. Cuomo declared a statewide public health emergency Saturday to combat what’s already been a severe flu season.

The declaration will make it easier for vaccinations to get to more children.

“We are experiencing the worst flu season since at least 2009, and influenza activity in New York State is widespread, with cases reported in all 57 counties and all five boroughs of New York City,” Cuomo said.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)