In the weeks since Hurricane Sandy swept through Lindenhurst, there've been countless about its aftermath, and many have found their way to Village Hall.
According to Mayor Tom Brennan, every question revolves around one key point: cash.
"When do I get money? That's the big question. How do I get reimbursed? Where do I live?" the mayor said regarding what's on residents' minds.
To help answer that all-important question an informational meeting was recently held at the Lindenhurst Middle School, with local and federal officials on hand to take questions, and try and help make people whole again.
"Not only did the School District want FEMA to come, but I wanted my building inspector and fire marshal to come down and basically explain to people what they need to do when they rebuild their house," Brennan said.
The mayor said as long as residents stay within the footprint of their home, there won't be a need, nor a charge for, building permits - a way to streamline the process as folks rebuild.
That's especially important for home South of Montauk Highway, without question the hardest hit area in Lindy.
Brennan estimated around 100 homes there suffered major water damage, with a number of homes wiped out. It's a slow return to normalcy, but the mayor said the cleanup is progressing.
"Cleanup efforts are going fabulous; if you go around the streets, then you'll see that it's very little debris in Lindenhurst," he said. "You go to other areas, it's not the same."
For now, the Lindenhurst Memorial Library remains the official FEMA Disaster Recovery Center - available to residents from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily - though there's been talk of the now-closed Bower Elementary School taking over, as it's more accessible to many residents affected by Sandy.
Brennan said he's put the Lindy Board of Education in touch with FEMA, but there's no update as of yet. Plus, he said, it's up to the BOE to coordinate with New York State in terms of making up school days lost to Sandy.
The Village of Lindenhurst Relief Fund continues to grow, with the mayor saying $60,000 has been raised so far. A committee will be formed to decide how best to distribute the money.
The mayor urged anyone who has any questions about what to do next to go to the library for individual attention from FEMA and the other state agencies stationed there.
(Log onto the Village of Lindenhurst website, and click here to check the latest Sandy updates and recovery information from the Village online. Information about the VOL Relief Fund and how to donate could also be found here. Residents could also text VOL to 411247 for the latest recovery updates.)
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