Storm aftermath brings ruin for one NYC family
<p> <span word="Hurricane">Hurricane</span> <span word="Sandy">Sandy</span> <span word="drove">drove</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="immigrant">immigrant</span> <span word="Brooklyn">Brooklyn</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="inundated">inundated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="rising">rising</span> <span word="waters">waters</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="Gowanus">Gowanus</span> <span word="Canal">Canal</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="canal">canal</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="polluted">polluted</span> <span word="sites">sites</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>.</p><p><span word="Maria">Maria</span> <span word="Gonzalez">Gonzalez</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="Brooklyn">Brooklyn</span> <span word="block">block</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="immigrated">immigrated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="old">old</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="basement">basement</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="doors">doors</span> -- <span word="for">for</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ventilation">ventilation</span></p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hurricane">hurricane</span> <span word="hit">hit</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="meter">meter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="flooded">flooded</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="home">home</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="polluted">polluted</span> <span word="Gowanus">Gowanus</span> <span word="Canal">Canal</span>.</p><p><span word="Maria">Maria</span>, <span word="her">her</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="Rodrigo">Rodrigo</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="Carmen">Carmen</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="storm">storm</span> <span word="pumping">pumping</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clean">clean</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="again">again</span>.</p><p><span word="Jerry">Jerry</span> <span word="Gonzalez">Gonzalez</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Maria">Maria</span>'<span word="s">s</span> 10-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="brother">brother</span>. "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="door">door</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="buckets">buckets</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span> '<span word="till">till</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="door">door</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="refrigerator">refrigerator</span> <span word="floating">floating</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="kitchen">kitchen</span> <span word="sink">sink</span> <span word="broke">broke</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bathroom">bathroom</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="landlord">landlord</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fix">fix</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Carmen">Carmen</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="workplace">workplace</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="flooded">flooded</span>. <span word="Maria">Maria</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="school">school</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="formal">formal</span> <span word="dance">dance</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="replace">replace</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="college">college</span> <span word="applications">applications</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="saving">saving</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="college">college</span>," <span word="Maria">Maria</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="worries">worries</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="now">now</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span>."</p>
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