Seastreak HELPING THE ROCKAWAYS
Sandy is anything but a distant memory.
As we continue to work together and repair the Shore, the entire East Coast still remembers the damage this massive superstorm caused. Along with the thousands of homes destroyed, many areas were affected including the hometowns of our ports, both in New York City and in Atlantic Highlands / Highlands, NJ.
Seastreak did not come out of Hurricane Sandy unscathed. Our Charles J. Kraemer floating terminal sustained a substantial amount of damage. The damage was so bad that the terminal was removed, and replaced with a barge in the interim.
Locally, we hosted the Hope for Highlands benefit concert. Almost half of all donations collected at the benefit concert went towards rebuilding the borough’s businesses, and the remaining amount went to Highlands residents dealing with the storm’s aftermath.
But our East Coast friends in other places were not forgotten. To help alleviate the stress of transportation and get New York employees back on their feet, we partnered with the city of New York to offer ferry service between the Rockaway’s and Manhattan. We started the service on November 12th within one week of being asked by the NYEDC.
The public transit systems were in disarray, and there was no easy way to get across the Hudson River – but we were running. The tri-state area was, in effect, closed for business. And it was our business to keep passengers safe while traveling.
The days following the tragic disaster were bleak and quiet aside from the hum of gas-powered generators. Electricity was out across the coast, fuel was rationed, and stores were closed until further notice.
Months later, we still see the damage that Sandy left in her path, but we are picking up the pieces on our road to recovery. Seastreak’s floating terminal is now back up in the Highlands, and we are working to further improve it for our passengers. We look forward to having it in pristine shape just in time for summer.
We would like to thank you all for being so patient during this arduous process, and hope to see you aboard Seastreak soon!
Filed Under: Sea Talk, Seastreak HELPING THE ROCKAWAYS