Michelle Macauda interviews Hurricane Sandy effected family as they rebuild their home.

When the Cammarata family, made up of five members and two dogs, was forced to move out of their Staten Island home after it was flooded by Hurricane Sandy, they were taken in by friends and family who offered shelter while they rebuilt their home took them in.

“We were so grateful to have great family and friends that helped us in this time of need,” said by Denise Cammarata.

The Cammarata family lived in Midland Beach, an area most known for its boardwalk and ocean view. No one expected the 20-foot waves created by Sandy to come and flood their home.  On the night of the Hurricane, Oct.29, the Cammarata family evacuated to an aunt’s house during the storm. 

“My neighbor Lauren decided to wait out the storm and said that within a few minutes the house filled up with water from the basement to the second floor,” said Damiano,19, the oldest of three children. These water surges caused so many houses to fill up with water as quickly as 20 minutes. The Cammarata’s have been forced to live in other people’s homes for the time being.

They moved around until they settled at the Astuto home, in Annadale. Julianne Astuto, 19, is the girlfriend of Damiano Cammarata. Julianne and her mother Angela have warmly opened their home to the Cammarata family. “I offered them so many times to just stay at my house because its an empty house all the time, it just made sense,” Julianne said. They moved in right before Thanksgiving and between the Astuto children being home from college and the Cammarata’s family there were nine people living in the house, including three dogs.

One night both families ended up around the kitchen table drinking coffee with desserts covering the entire table. There were at least 10 people laughing and smiling around the table. “These 19 and 20 year olds are hanging out drinking coffee with the 40 and 50 year olds. It make me laugh that they enjoy this,” said Angela Astuto. Both families gather together in a time of need and make the best out of it.

The Cammarata family has been sleeping in the empty rooms in the Astuto house. “My parents sleep upstairs, I sleep in the smaller room and my brothers sleep on the couches downstairs,” said the youngest of the Cammarata family, Genna. She said they feel truly blessed to have a place to sleep after Sandy took their home due to massive flooding.

Every morning John Cammarata and his sons, Damiano and John, go to their damaged house to rebuild. ” We go every day and gut the entire house, bleach it clean from the black mold and now we are finally putting the house back together,” Damiano said.

Denise Cammarata said she has always wanted to redo her kitchen and because of the Sandy she now can. “I am excited for the new kitchen but I can’t say this is the push I wanted to do it.” The Cammarata family has been removing all damaged personal items and debris of the house. They had to face the issue of black mold. “There is black mold behind everything. Underneath the floor and behind all the sheet rock. We have to rip everything out,” Damiano said.

Even with the hospitality of friends, the family is looking forward to returning home. “All I want to do is be back in my house. I have electricity right now you know. I don’t care if I have to put tarps on the floor and eat on a folding table,” said John Cammarata, the father. “I want to be able to shower in my house, eat in my house and sleep in my own bed.”  They hope to be back in the house by January and if not by the end of that month.
“No one expected Hurricane Sandy to create the damage it did. Hurricane Irene we had two feet of water in my basement,” Damiano said.

John added, “Sandy flooded the entire area around my home, from the basement up to my second floor and the whole block I live on.” The shock factor of Hurricane Sandy took families by surprise. This family has had stress from finding somewhere to live, rebuilding their home and financially covering all their expenses. “The first few days we couldn’t get back into the house so we all had to buy clothing because we left with what we had on the day before the storm.” Damiano, said. “We also ruined what we had on when we went back to the house after the storm. We walked through the muddy water that was up to my waist.”