Interview with Paul Smith, September 4, 2013

Interview Summary

Smith reveals why he and his wife had chosen to live in the house in which they currently reside. He also describes that his community is very close-knit and sticks together in times of crisis. Smith talks about not expecting anything any worse than Hurricane Irene upon word of Hurricane Sandy. He also goes on to explain that people in his area were not quite as afraid for the storm only because storms of this kind do not usually hit that area as badly as others. Smith describes how he and his family actually watched the water enter their home during the storm. He describes the town the day after the storm as appearing as though it had been hit by bombs. Smith describes that the gas lines were out of hand after Hurricane Sandy. He also goes in-depth about the process of cleaning up. Smith describes his sense of feeling safe in his neighborhood with the help of the presence of first responders. He also discusses a charity from Taiwan which gave his town $420,000 for recovery. Another organization focusing on schools and created from the tragedy of 9/11 had given every member of the school who was affected by Hurricane Sandy a $1,000 gift card. Smith discusses how long it took the local businesses to reopen after Sandy hit. He also shares that the response the community got was good from all ends. Smith describes the help from the governor and how he is never happy with the negative information the media portrays. He also states that the appearance of both President Obama and Governor Christie in the area was very beneficial. Smith describes making improvements to his neighborhood while others were still trying to get monetary assistance for their homes and how that felt. He also describes how it was to experience the complaining of others in the community at meetings. Smith states that the disaster in Moore, Oklahoma was different than what happened with Hurricane Sandy, yet the commonality is devastation that needs to be followed by positive reinforcements. He also believes that the 'Stronger than the Storm' ads with the governor were not about what took place but about tourism and making more money.

Interview Keyword

preparation destruction disasters aid community support

Interview LC Subject

Union Beach (N.J.) Hurricane Sandy, 2012

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Interview Usage

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