Matthew Bender, professor of history at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), has compiled a virtual library of personal accounts from Superstorm Sandy. These accounts range from first responders to meteorologists within the region.
The project is called Hurricane Sandy Oral History Project. Professor Bender, who began the project in 2013, started out with one person’s narrative of the storm. Today, there have been 66 published accounts, with a hope to reach 100 by the end of June. The project will inform future populations what the storm meant to people who experienced it. Sadly, many people needed to relocate from the badly hit areas because they could not afford to rebuild their homes. “The goal is to create a permanent collection of narratives that are available for future generations,” Bender said.
Toms River Director of Public Works Louis Amoruso says another major storm could be just as hazardous because “the biggest thing is our susceptibility to the natural disasters.” As a first responder, Amoruso piled up sand on the dunes to try to hold back the storm.
Oral history projects, such as this, have the power to educate people about important events of the region’s past. Years from now, when the rebuilding efforts are completed and Hurricane Sandy is a foggy memory in the minds of citizens of the country, this oral history library will be available to remind people of the difficult road the states within the Mid-Atlantic region–and other areas affected–had to take in the aftermath of the storm.
According to Professor Bender, the people who shared their stories felt a great sense of relief because they were able to relay their frustrations and pain.
An article with statistics about the storm can be read here.
From: NewsWorks