Although Hurricane Sandy blew through the East coast two weeks ago, some communities have not yet recovered from the damage. The seaside town of Belmar in New Jersey was one of the region's hardest hit areas, with massive damage and a large immigrant population with nowhere else to go. Schools in Belmar officially reopened two weeks after the storm, but teachers had already been hard at work rebuilding their community and helping their students. A week after Sandy, Belmar Elementary Principle Lisa Hannah and a group of teachers were allowed to go into the town's hardest-hit neighborhoods and check on their students to see if they could help. "Today, we tried to get a list of what people needed, so we could go back and drop supplies off if they're still staying where they are," said Hannah. But beyond bringing blankets and food, the teachers were also there to lend emotional support to their students, many of whom had lost their favorite possessions in the storm. "In a time like this where kids are scared and you see it in their eyes, the more people they have around them that they are familiar with and that they know care about them can only positively impact them." While still out of power, the school opened for lunch and provided free meals to families that showed up. Out of the 550 students enrolled at Belmar Elementary, only about 50 came for lunch. With school back in session, most of those remaining students have returned. The teachers were back as well, although many have still not returned home themselves. Quotes "In a time like this where kids are scared and you see it in their eyes, the more people they have around them that they are familiar with and that they know care about them can only positively impact them." - Lisa Hannah, Belmar Elementary School. Warm Up Questions 1. What do you know about Hurricane Sandy? 2. How can a storm disrupt someone’s life? 3. What are some resources available to help people after a storm? Discussion Questions 1. Have you ever lived through a bad storm? What was your experience? 2. Do you think schools and teachers are well-suited to help after a disaster? Why or why not? 3. If the storm destroyed your home, where would you go? 4. How can your class help victims of Hurricane Sandy? Additional Resources Video Transcript Is Climate Change Making Hurricanes More Intense? Lesson Plan: ARE THE WORLD'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGING? Hurricane Katrina Photographs Show Residents' Resilience Download this Video