Climate Desk

Before and After in Breezy Point, Queens

A year after Hurricane Sandy, rebuilding continues, but the neighborhood faces a new threat from Congress.

By

One year ago today, storm surge from Hurricane Sandy set off a fire in Breezy Point, Queens, that leveled more than 100 homes. Construction has made astonishing progress in rebuilding the community from the ground up. But in July 2012, Congress decided to slash subsidies for federal flood insurance, leaving many residents to worry that rising rates could make the quiet beachside neighborhood unaffordable. Watch more in the video above, and see stunning before-and-after shots of the rebuilding effort below.

Homes sit destroyed after Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Top: Homes sit destroyed after Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012 in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. Bottom: Workers construct new homes on Oct. 23, 2013 in Breezy Point.

Photos by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The Breezy Point neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York seen October 24, 2013 (bottom), one year after Hurricane Sandy hit the region and over 100 houses here were destroyed in a fire and on October 30, 2012. Homes are being rebuilt in Breezy Point, which lies adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.
Top: More than 100 houses were destroyed in a fire during Hurricane Sandy. Bottom: Breezy Point as seen on Oct. 24, 2013.

Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
Superstorm Sandy in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Top: The remains of burned homes are surrounded by water due to Sandy on Oct. 31, 2012. Bottom: Newly built homes and vacant lots on Oct. 21, 2013.

Photos by Andrew Burton/Mario Tama/Getty Images
Breezy Point is shown October 22, 2013 in the Queens borough of New York City. Hurricane Sandy.
Top: Edward “Roaddawg” Manley, a volunteer and honorary firefighter with the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, places a star on top of a Christmas tree on Dec. 25, 2012. Bottom: The same section of Breezy Point is shown on Oct. 22, 2013.

Photos by Andrew Burton/Getty Images