DOES A HURRICANE WASH AWAY FEDERAL SERVICE DOG LAWS? I lived in Lido Beach Towers with my 83 yr. old mother; I am physically disabled & also have diabetes & use a small service dog that alerts to my diabetes. We evacuated for Hurricane Irene but found that LBT fared much better than where we stayed so despite the warnings we did not evacuate for Hurricane Sandy. Oct 29, 2012 was an ordinary day except for the weather. We had dinner about 5 pm & mom started to clean up. I am starting a business & went in my room to work on the computer. Then we lost power. Undeterred because I still had a full charge on the battery I continued working. A short time later mom came to my room saying we were ordered to go to the lobby on the 2nd floor water was starting to come in. Still unfazed I saved my work then went to get up to get dressed. I found water over my knees! I made my way to the recliner @ the foot of my bed where I had my pants & t-shirt; I grabbed my pants but just then water rushed in thru the window & a/c unit; my pants were pulled from my hand. The super was approaching my room; I grabbed a pair of shorts from the drawer. The super took my walker in 1 hand & supported me with the other & led me out of the apartment. We had laminate floors in the hall that were floating in what was now waist high water & they were cutting my bare legs. I could not get my t-shirt & was wearing only a tank top; no shoes or socks. All I wanted was my service dog & was insisting the super get her, she was on the bed & at only 12lbs, and she could not get off the bed the water would have been over her head. The super got me safely to the landing then went back & rescued the dog. There were approximately 35 people in the lobby. Someone got me a pair of socks & a couple towels. At this time, mom & I still believed we would wait out the storm & return to our apartment. There was a large glass window in the lobby that cracked & ceiling tiles in an area with a drop ceiling began to fall; some people on the 2nd floor who could get into their apartments now couldn’t because windows broke & the ferocious wind held their doors shut. We were told we would have to go to the 3rd floor. There are not many dog lovers in the building & people were downright nasty as I tried to get to the 3rd floor. People broke off in groups going into apartments on higher levels; NO ONE ASKED US TO JOIN THEM. Mom & I huddled up in the hall I had on lighted dog leash I used as a flashlight. Finally, a Caregiver for someone who was bedridden said we could stay in their living room. Mom took the couch I TRIED to settle in the recliner with the dog but couldn’t get comfortable. I ended up going into the hall & using the 2 towels that had been given to me, we slept on the floor. In the morning, I made my way down to the lobby. The building manager took lists of medications people needed she said she was going to the Fire Department. I was cold & tired. The cushions from the couches in the lobby were missing but still I lay down on one with my 2 towels & the dog & soon fell asleep. I was awoken a short time later by a National Guardsman who said we were being taken out mom was still on the 3rd floor & I would not leave without her. We had no money & no ID on us & I asked a fireman if he could retrieve my mom’s pocketbook from the apartment it was in a chair by the door. He did try but returned saying there was no chair by door. Trying to stall for time, I said I was going to walk the dog while I waited for mom. Mom had a 2012 Chevy Cruise that was one day shy of a year old, I had a hand controlled 2012 Toyota Sienna that was 4 months old they had been parked behind the building. When I went to walk the dog, I saw both cars on the side of the building crashed into one another. I tried to retrieve things from inside my vehicle but couldn’t there were automatic doors on both sides & they had opened allowing the water, sand & debris inside. I made my way back to the building & was met by NJ Burkett from Channel 7 News I spoke to him for a few minutes then went inside to find my mom. Someone gave mom a blanket to wrap around her; she did not have a coat. A neighbor found a pair of sweatpants much too big for me & gave me them & a light spring jacket; no one had shoes that would fit me. The National Guard said we would be taken to Long Beach City hall then by bus to area shelters. When we arrived at City Hall we were led inside a police officer handed mom & I each 2 bottles of water & directed us to go back outside we were told we could not stay in the building. Esperanza’s Service Dog vest had been on my walker & she was wearing this but it DID NOT matter the bus driver did not want to allow me on the bus with the dog. I INSISTED citing Federal Service Dog Laws & he finally relented. This brought on many verbal attacks from others waiting for busses with pets; but according to the law Esperanza IS NOT a pet. We sat on the bus for almost an hour. I was directed to the rear of the bus & not allowed to sit with my mom because they said they could not have 2 walkers that close to the front of the bus; I think it was because of the dog. After waiting all that time the bus driver got on the bus & standing at the front addressed me yelling “the shelters are not taking any dogs not even Service Dogs”. I told him he could not do that there was a Federal Service Dog Law. The bus driver replied, “There is a law & there is a crisis we will do what we want.” Now what do I do, do I abandon the dog, or do I leave my mom, I decided to leave my mom because she has all her faculties & could advocate for herself the dog would die without someone to care for her. I left the bus not dressed for the weather, with no shoes, not knowing how I would ever find my mom again. The next place I went was the Long Beach Police Department. I told the officer what happened with the bus driver & he more or less said the same thing “there is a law & there is a crisis we can do what we want.” I had nowhere to go. I went to the train station & huddled in the waiting room but then they put me out & locked the doors. I go to a clinic in Garden City & decided if I could get there; my Social Worker would help me. I had no money. I went to the car service & explained my problem but he said he did not have any cars. I started hitchhiking but no one would give me a ride. Finally an off duty firefighter & his family stopped to help. He too was unsuccessful in getting me a car at the car service. He PROMISED he would find a way to help. He went to City Hall & the Police Station then returned saying there was a bus going to Mitchell Field they would take me & the dog there, there was a shelter where we both could stay. As I boarded the bus, his wife handed me tissues & I later recalled her saying “don’t lose it,” this did not sink in at the time I was really shell shocked but she had given me money. I saw the true devastation of Long Island on the way to the shelter. As we got closer to Garden City, I started to have an uneasy feeling about the whole thing. Before we got to Mitchell Field, I saw we were near the clinic. I pleaded with the bus driver to let me off the bus but HE REFUSED. HE WOULD NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS SPEAKING TO HIM. When we arrived at Mitchell Field the bus stopped near these large trailer trucks it was then I saw pictures of animals on the trucks & realized what was happening; they were going to put the animals in these trucks & take the people to a shelter THIS WOULD NOT DO! I exited the bus & headed for the road, cold, tired & hungry I hitchhiked for over an hour before someone stopped & agreed to take me to the clinic. The car let me off at the entrance to the parking lot of the clinic; when I got to the door, I found a sign saying the clinic was closed & would reopen the next day. NOW WHAT? The only thing open was the NICE BUS DEPOT across the street. I made my way over there. I got maybe 6 feet from the guard tower when the guard came out & started screaming at me to go away & get out of there, I had not said word one to him. This is when I really felt defeated. I still had my two towels & I laid them on the ground & then I lay with the dog on top of them; this upset the guard even more but I DID NOT know where to go. A short time later, a security truck belonging to NICE drove up. He said I COULD NOT stay there. Again, I said I had nowhere to go. I told him an abbreviated version of the story & he asked where I thought my mom might be; I know she has good friends in Bellmore I thought she might go there. He allowed me to use his cell phone to call but I could not get through, I also tried a friend of mine who lived in Bellmore but obviously, the phones were down. The Security Officer told me to go to the Quintas hotel on Stewart Ave. They had some power; maybe I could use a phone or the internet there. I said that is a great idea & asked if he would take me up there. He said he could not take anyone in his truck I would have to walk. Walk? I have no shoes, a walker & he wants me to walk from Oak Street to the Quintas Hotel. Well he DID want me to want & was insistent the I leave the property. Esperanza & I started walking. Though not that far mile wise, it took me ALMOST 2 HOURS to make the walk. At first, the people at the Quintas were nice they let me use the computer, I sent out an email letting people know what happened. Other patrons let me use their cell phones. The problem was I COULD NOT REACH ANYONE & HAD NO PLACE TO GO. I was at the Quintas maybe 2 hours when the manager approached me saying if I wanted a room, I better act quickly as they were running out. I said I did not have money for a room & told her my story. She walked away not saying anything. A short time later, a police officer approached me he said the manager wanted me to leave; technically, I was homeless & could not loiter there. I pleaded with him to let me stay – I HAD NOWHERE TO GO! The police officer was unrelenting I HAD TO GO. A man using the other computer in the room I was in was listening to the conversation & he asked me if I wanted to go to Bellmore. He had let me use his phone to call Bellmore a few times. I agreed & he told the officer that as soon as he finished he would take me to Bellmore. I was certain that my mom somehow made it to her friend in Bellmore; I thought if I got there, we would be reunited & could start formulating a plan. It was AFTER 11pm when we arrived at mom’s friend. These people are very good friends of my mom’s but have never been particular fans of mine I approached their door with some trepidation – what if mom was not there? Well MOM WAS NOT AT HER FRIEND’S HOUSE & when they found out I DID NOT know where she was THEY WERE LIVID – how could I leave my mother on the bus just to stay with the dog? I TRIED to explain that mom could advocate for herself whereas Esperanza was dependent on me but it DID NOT matter, THEY WERE VERY ANGRY. Despite their anger, they did give me a sandwich before heading off to bed. I was given a pillow & a blanket to sleep on the couch. I DID NOT sleep much that night I was worried about mom, did not know the full devastation of Lido – what was going to happen to me? Us? I finally fell asleep with Esperanza in my arms but I DID NOT sleep long when mom’s friends woke me; it was still dark outside. They said they were going to check area shelters for my mom & would be back. They told me to get ready & decide where I was going. They were VERY NASTY to me & to Esperanza. When they returned about 90 minutes later, they were angrier than when they left because they COULD NOT find my mom. Now I was worried – was she in a hospital? They let it be known that I had already overstayed me welcome & where was I going? I said I wanted to get to the clinic in Garden City. I thought mom’s friend was going to take me but instead he drove me to the Bellmore Car Service & paid a driver to take me there. When I entered the clinic, my Social Worker was sitting at the front desk. I tried to tell her what happened but burst into tears I was just so relieved because I knew she could help me. She quickly organized a team; someone went to get me breakfast, a nurse practitioner took my vital signs, a case manager& came in to speak to me, they even got the director involved. It was decided that the best thing to do was to take me to the ER & get me medically stable & get prescriptions to last me a couple weeks; when I left Lido, I had NO MEDICATION with me. The case manager & director took me to the ER; they had copies of my medical cards & birth certificate on file & were able to expedite things. Even at the ER, the security guard gave me a hard time about the dog but this time I REFUSED TO LEAVE. While I was waiting a woman who was also waiting noticed I had no shoes only wet dirty socks; I could not get into the whole story but told her part of it; she reached into her bag & pulled out a furry soft pair of black socks; it felt so good to have something dry & warm on my feet. I was not at the ER long when the case manager came to pick me up; he said he thought he knew where my mom was. The case manager took me to THE SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTER @ NASSAU COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. The case manager met with opposition when trying to get them to take me, they did not want to accept the dog. Too tired to argue I left things to the case manager I was just glad to be inside & warm. Mom was VERY WORRIED about me; she had no idea where I was. Despite her age mom is very active & not one to sit still. She WAS at the Special Needs Shelter & kept walking around just for something to do. It was on one of these “trips” that I spotted her. When I called to her she came out to where I was in the lobby all we could do was hug & cry. The case manager did get me accepted at the shelter but my bed would be in the storeroom to keep Esperanza from other people. The case manager went & filled my prescriptions. It would be 4 days before I could get shoes & I started to gather bits & pieces of clothing from donations brought in. It was the first night in the shelter that I found the money that the fireman’s wife had given me when I cleaned tissues & stuff out of my walker. Things were not easy at the shelter. Lights out was at 9pm but sleeping was nearly impossible because I was in the storeroom & people were constantly turning the big overhead lights on, banging cots & other things in the middle of the night etc. I eventually got a hold of my friend who lives in Bellmore & she took me shopping. She bought me a pay-as-you-go cell phone so I could contact people; my cell phone had been left behind at Lido. The LI Chapter of the MS Society gave us some money & some promotional clothing but still we were in limbo. We could not find out anything about Lido Towers. Rumors started circulating that the building was condemned. We wanted to go back there no matter what the condition mom wanted to try & get her pocketbook I wanted to see what if anything of mine was salvageable. The same friend that took me shopping loaned me a laptop computer (mine was lost in the storm). I went on Google & put in “Lido Towers, Hurricane Sandy” this directed me to You Tube where I found several videos. One of these Videos was someone from the management company saying that Lido Towers was structurally sound & they would rebuild better than ever – in retrospect that was a joke. After 3 ½ weeks in the shelter & with still no place to go they informed us that the shelter was closing. They wanted to send my mom to a Nursing Home & they said Social Services would find a place for me this was UNACCEPTABLE to either of us. Another of my mom’s friends had recently sold her house so she contacted her real estate broker. At the time, apartments were in great demand. Just days before the shelter was to close the broker found us a 1-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment in Westbury with a 6-month lease. The apartment was really too small for 2 people, mom’s bed was in the dining room but it was better than the alternative. We slowly started trying to rebuild our lives, we had to buy everything from toothpaste to furniture; we had nothing. Our monthly maintenance at Lido Towers was almost $800 a month & then mom had a mortgage besides these had to be paid even though we were renting at Westbury. We would soon learn that due to someone failing to pay a premium at Lido Towers the amount that they would get from insurance would be far less than expected & they would need loans to make all the repairs. What this meant was more assessments to the owners (in the 10 yrs. mom lived there she paid almost $175,000 in assessments) & another increase in maintenance. Then the infighting started amongst owners, the Board of Directors, the Management Company, etc. It soon was apparent that no matter what WE WOULD NEVER RETURN TO LIDO TOWERS, WE SIMPLY COULD NOT AFFORD IT. Mom was ready to walk away & let the bank foreclose on the property but then just by luck she met someone who said their aunt wanted to buy a place in Lido Towers. Mom thought, yeah but not this place. However, the woman DID want to buy our place. She believes Lido Tower will rebuild & be returned to its former glory. Mom took a loss of about ¾ of million dollars on the sale but it was better than just walking away. When the 6-month lease ended in Westbury, we were fortunate to find a 2 bedroom 2 bath in Plainview, which had the ideal layout for us. However, we were not here a week when mom fell & broke her hip. She had surgery & was in rehab a couple months & now is backing home. We still have so much to replace from Lido but that will take time. We had hassles with FEMA for month & only in the last few weeks have we seen any real money from them; it is not enough to replace everything but it will help. I lost my laptop & external hard drive in the flood I later retrieved these but can’t afford to pay someone to try to get the data off them (if that is possible). I am still determined to start my own business despite having to recreate so much of my work. The nightmares from the storm DO NOT going away & we all (even the dog) have some PTSD. Project Hope dropped the ball when I asked for help from them; they were very unprofessional & only added to the stress & misery I was feeling. While many people helped me out in the recovery following the storm I still remember those who refused help or were mean just because they could be; I am a lot more cynical & angry than I was before the storm. After having a chance to settle down a bit I check evacuation procedures for Service Dogs & it is the policy of NICE BUS COMPANY & of ALL RED CROSS SHELTERS to ACCEPT SERVICE DOGS, too bad they DID NOT train their employees. I am also VERY ANGRY with the police; the officer that WOULD NOT help me in Long Beach the one who evicted me from the Quintas; some people in authority let it go to their heads. What’s next? Lido Towers has floors 3 thru 6 occupied though many people decided not to turn; part of the 2nd floor is having a mold problem, only one elevator is working & work on the first floor where we lived has not even started due to lack of funds. In some ways, I am relived not to be caught up in that mess & I do feel safer not living on the Ocean but Lido Towers was home; my mom’s for 10 years, mine for 3 years. I miss my room but mostly I miss my “things”; the monetary value of what I lost is insurmountable never mind what mom lost, she lost far more; then there is the memories, the photos, the scrapbooks, the mementoes of trips & people that are gone; favorite clothing, antique furniture that you can’t put a price on. I do not think my life will ever get back to where it was before Sandy.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 15:30:34 +0000