Coney Island, After Sandy

Danger, Beach Closed

We traveled to New York for Thanksgiving, a little apprehensive given that it was only about three weeks since Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast.  We had heard about the devastation, how the Subway was flooded, and how the Boardwalk had been washed out to sea.  When we got there, we saw that the City had actually weathered the storm fairly well and that the Subway, for the most part, was fine.  We also heard that the Atlantic City Boardwalk had been blown out to sea, but not the one in Coney Island.  Still, we made the trek out to Coney Island to survey the damage.

The damage, it turns out, was pretty extensive.  Famous Nathans, along with many other merchants, was closed and apparently being refitted because of flood damage.  The most impressive sight, though, was the sand: it was everywhere.  As you approach the Boardwalk from the landward side, you see the sand as far away as Stillwell Avenue.  Even more impressive, though, is how high the sand was piled.

The photo above shows the Boardwalk in the foreground and the beach in the background divided in the lower third by a railing curving into the sand.  The railing is actually part of the steps leading down the the beach, which ordinarily is about four feet below the Boardwalk.  The photo clearly shows the sand rising above the Boardwalk.  Although you can't see it from any photo, the gaps between the planks showed sand underneath.  Essentially, the sand had blown completely over and under the Boardwalk.

Selected photos of the series After Sandy will be on display in Studio 10-U at the Bakehouse Art Complex, Friday, January 11, 2013 beginning at 7.00 PM.  Click here to see the series After Sandy in my Flickr feed.