Glenda Moore, mother of Irish American boys who died during Hurricane Sandy confronts neighbors who failed to help

Glenda Moore grieves the loss of her two young sons

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Glenda Moore, and her husband, Damian Moore, react as they approach the scene where of their childrens' bodies were discovered in Staten Island, New York

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Glenda Moore, wife of Donegal native Damien Moore, has confronted one of the neighbors she claims turned their backs when she searched desperately for help during Superstorm Sandy as her two young boys were swept away in floodwaters.

The Irish Independent reports on the tragedy, just one of many stemming from Superstorm Sandy that rocked the Eastern coast last week. During the storm, Glenda Moore lost hold of her two young sons, Connor, aged 4, and Brandon, aged 2, as floodwaters engulfed them when they were trying to escape to safety.

"I asked you to help me, you bastard," the grieving Moore screamed at the man she claimed ignored in her search for help, a neighbor said.
 
The Irish Examiner reports that Moore had taken her two sons in her and her husband’s pick up truck to head for shelter after the storm began and their house lost electricity. Glenda’s husband Damien Moore was at work with the city council preparing for the massive storm.
 
En route, Moore encountered severe conditions, and the truck was knocked about in the high winds. When she got out of the car, she found herself waist-deep in floodwaters. She grabbed her two young sons in hopes of moving to higher ground, but another gust of wind blew them from her grasp.
 
The boys perished during the height of the storm on Monday, and their bodies were found three days later after an extensive search.
 
Police confirmed that Glenda Moore banged on the doors of homes on Father Capodanno Boulevard in Staten Island looking for help for her two sons on Monday during the storm.
 
The man Moore accused of not helping, however, reportedly thought he was being robbed when the frantic mother came looking for help. The morning after the incident, the man who didn’t help reportedly told neighbors that he thought he heard a burglar at the door during the storm.
 
A neighbor of his said, "He said somebody knocked at the door and he thought they were robbing him. . . He said: 'I'm not going to open the door, I'm not crazy.'"
 
Another neighbor said, "He's a nice person. He volunteers on the block. I don't see him as a person who wouldn't help.”
 
Still, Glenda Moore is left grieving the tragic loss of her two sons. Similarly, Connor and Brandon’s grandparents back in Donegal are grieving the loss as well.
 
Fr Philip Daly, the priest of Damien Moore’s home parish of Portnoo, has been comforting grandparents Paddy and Fay following the tragedy.
 
"You can’t put into words what she must have been going through," said Fr Daly of Glenda Moore. "That awfulness wasn’t helped by the actions of these so-called neighbours who refused to give support to the poor woman.”
 
Fr Daly noted how Damien Moore, who emigrated to the US in his 20s, often came back to visit his extended family in Ireland. Sadly, his children never got to visit though.
 
Fr Daly added that while the grieving grandparents won’t be able to fly out to the US for their grandchildren’s funerals this week, a memorial mass is being organized at St Conal’s Church, Kilclooney.

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