The Christian Science Monitor

For Sandy survivors, a desire to help Texans avoid their mistakes

As Sue Marticek travels around Texas, she tells people she is from the town “that had the rollercoaster in the water” after superstorm Sandy roared through five years ago Sunday.

She is in southeast Texas now because there are still hundreds of people in her native Ocean County in New Jersey who haven’t been able to return home. The iconic rollercoaster was replaced this year, but recovery from the storm is still not complete.

The problems, which range from contractor fraud to fights over insurance claims, she says, stem from mistakes homeowners made in the confusing, emotionally charged months right after the storm. And with hurricane Harvey – which hit Texas and Louisiana in late August – estimated to have caused three times the damage Sandy did, she wants Texans to avoid those problems.

“New Jersey wants Texas’s recovery to be

'I hope she comes again'Nonprofits: indispensible, but stretched too thin?Money, paperwork, and emotions

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
This Instructor Builds Confidence Among Maldivian Women, In The Water And Out
In the shallow, turquoise waters off Rasdhoo island, Aminath Zoona gathers a small group of adults – mostly women – around her. “Every Maldivian must learn to swim,” she tells them matter-of-factly. As the first Maldivian woman in the country accredi
The Christian Science Monitor5 min readInternational Relations
Iran’s Official Line On Exchange With Israel: Deterrence Restored
The horn of official triumphalism still sounds unabated in Iran, nearly three weeks after the Islamic Republic launched an unprecedented barrage, from Iranian soil, of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel. Yet triumphalism aside, Iran’s interp
The Christian Science Monitor4 min readInternational Relations
Facing Russian Threat And An Uncertain America, Europe Rearms
Two words – stark, sober words – sum up a dramatic mood swing in Europe that could redefine, and ultimately loosen, the Continent’s decades-old alliance with the United States. War footing. That phrase, voiced most recently by British Prime Minister

Related Books & Audiobooks