Houses in Lavallette, N.J., where Herndon High’s Nick Nagy helps his family in the lengthy clean-up process following Hurricane Sandy. Photo Contributed
Herndon High School student Nick Nagy's family including his grandfather and aunt live in Lavallette, N.J. He has gone down there every summer since he was born.
“Words cannot express the damage and devastation he has seen,” wrote his mother, Anne Nagy, an art teacher at Dranesville Elementary School, in an email to the Connection. “The whole first floor where his grandfather lived had to be gutted and everything thrown out to the street. Nick was there when his grandfather was first allowed to go back on the barrier island three weeks ago and has been going down every weekend after to help. His grandfather is only allowed back to his house from the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to do work.”
Nagy’s grandfather has no electricity or water, the basement is filled with sludge, sand and rocks. The first floor is covered in mold and suffused with fumes.
Nagy had to empty the basement and put everything out to the street. The neighbors lost their houses in Hurricane Sandy and, as Anne Nagy said, “I guess you could say his family was lucky because the house is still standing. The Jersey shore will never be the same, I hope when people are thinking about the holidays, [they] don't forget there are people still cleaning up and struggling from Hurricane Sandy.”
To donate to relief funds for Hurricane Sandy victims such as Red Cross and the Salvation Army, go to http://restoretheshore.com/donate-money-to-local-relief-efforts/.