On Tuesday, October 29, the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, residents of New York and New Jersey held vigils to remember those lost.

On Staten Island residents lit candles by the waterfront closest to their homes as part of the “Light the Shore” vigil. Residents on the Jersey Shore similarly lit flashlights as a symbolic triumph over the darkness the storm brought. In the Rockaways where 130 homes burned during the storm, residents will plant sea grass on sand dunes.

Among those remembered were the two young Moore brothers, Connor, age 4 and Brandon, age 2 who died in the storm while their mother Glenda sought neighbors’ help. Glenda was driving her two sons in her husband’s pick up truck to head for shelter when high winds began to knock the truck. She exited the car to find higher ground and the floodwaters were already waist deep. A gust of wind blew her sons from her grasp and their bodies were found three days later following an extensive search.

Glenda knocked on the doors of several homes on Father Capodanno Boulevard on Staten Island, but received no help. One man who she accused of not helping said he thought he was being robbed. IrishCentral previously reported that his neighbor said on his behalf, “He said somebody knocked at the door and he thought they were robbing him” and added, “He said: ‘I’m not going to open the door, I’m not crazy.” Her husband Damien Moore, who emigrated from Donegal in his twenties, was at work with the city council preparing for the storm during the tragedy.

For various reasons Damien’s parents who retired in Donegal were not able to come to the United States for their grandchildrens’ funeral. Damien’s only sibling Patrick, who lives in England flew over to support his brother.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo ordered that flags on state buildings be flown at half staff on Tuesday and Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to visit some areas of New York City that were hit hardest by the storm. New Jersey governor Chris Christie planned Sandy recovery events throughout the state.

A year ago Hurricane Sandy made landfall at 7:30 pm sending a nearly 14 feet storm surge to New York City, flooding the subway system and commuter tunnels, and knocking out power for the lower third of Manhattan. Sandy was blamed for 181 deaths in the United States and an estimated $65 billion in property damages.