4 other people’s phones to communicate to them. Also, there were no accessible stores in the neighborhood because they were all flooded during hurricane Sandy. The only establishments that were open for service were a bakery nearby and the restaurant that I used to work at. The following days, there were sump pumps everywhere. It was loud and noisy because of all the motors running all day to pump out flooded apartments and basements. Everyday, sanitation workers would come multiple times a day to take away piles of personal belongings destroyed by flooding. I couldn’t stay in the apartment for two (2) weeks because there was no power and no gas. I could not even heat water on the stove and it was getting colder. There was also a snow storm a few days after hurricane Sandy. After a few nights in my cold apartment, I stayed with my friend, Candice Sering. I thought it was also better for me to stay in Candice’s place because I really needed company. It was quite difficult for everyone that time to be alone. Q11: How else were you affected by hurricane Sandy? A11: On a personal note, there was trauma from the incident. It was the first time in my life when I felt deprived of basic necessities, such as heat and water. There was this sense of displacement, and loss of community. At times, there was hopelessness from the difficulties of communication because internet, phones, and usual services were not working. It felt like we were left alone in our neighborhood and we had to rely on each other for basic needs like shelter and hot water. No one was going to help us. We had to rely on each other as neighbors and community members. Also, at the beginning, there was a sense of powerlessness from not being able to help out fellow Filipinos in the community who suffered impacts of hurricane Sandy. Because of my affiliation with Gabriela, there was clear community work and contribution that I could do as soon as I got back up. And that made me quite hopeful despite what happened. Q12: Did you undergo any psychosocial intervention? A12: No. Q13: Why was that? A13: I could not afford it at the time. Q14: You mentioned about losing that sense of “powerlessness.” Can you elaborate on that? A14: It did not feel like I had a choice to evacuate. Even if I had somewhere to go, I did not want to leave my community, knowing that there were others who also were staying. So when the storm surge happened, the destruction from the flooding and trauma experienced by the survivors like myself made me feel powerless and helpless. There were some volunteers and forums held by the city about relief, but it really felt