Page 11 - The Long Road Home

Two years after Superstorm Sandy Tricia McAvoy’s home had been repainted and a protective film was finally being removed from the first floor windows. “Although it was a bright sunny day, when the paper was removed, all I saw was darkness, the water rushing into my home and the howling wind.” Before Superstorm Sandy, Mrs. McAvoy lived in Brick, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. In October, flooding by Sandy caused extensive damage to the first floor of her home and bulkhead on her property to the point it needed to be replaced. The death of a close family friend soon followed, and by early February of the following year her husband would pass away of lung cancer. Despite these losses, she continues to fight to bring herself back home.
Mismanagement of her insurance claim has delayed her return. By late fall of 2013, her floorboards began to buckle due to water damage. The $5,000 awarded in response to her insurance claim was not nearly enough to cover the costs. Her appeal was denied by FEMA because it had not been submitted within 60 days of the initial discovery of new damage. Not only had Mrs. McAvoy suffered two strokes during this period, but the deadline had not been clearly communicated to her.
TRICIA MCAVOY BRICK, NEW JERSEY
Prior to the storm, Mrs. McAvoy enjoyed fairly good health. Almost five years later, she takes eleven medications daily and has had several operations. Psychiatrists have diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression due to living through these events and attempting to manage the rebuilding of her home. The two strokes she suffered were also linked to the massive amounts of stress. “My spirit and family kept me going, but my body began to give out under the daily pressures of living in grief, new economic hardship, and my displacement from my home.” She notes that Medicare coverage has been vital in keeping her alive. “I would not be here today if it weren’t for my being covered. If anyone faces all that happened to me, it is absolutely necessary that health care need not be a worry.” Since Sandy, her medical and therapy costs have been over $100,000 a year. “I don’t know what the future holds. The system failed me, and today I still live at my father’s home. If another storm hits this region, I foresee the same issues affecting people up and down the shore. Nothing’s changed.”
NEW JERSEY RESOURCE PROJECT
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