Hurricane Sandy was our worst nightmare realized. This monster storm packed as much energy as two World War II era atomic bombs, causing massive destruction, the likes of which had not been seen since the Long Island Express of 1938, a now legendary Category III hurricane. Trapped on an island jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, we were front and center when Sandy attacked with a vengeance. Thousands of homes were inundated with seawater and sewage. Hundreds were left uninhabitable. Two and a half years later, we continue to rebuild our tattered shoreline. In this series we will look in the coming months at the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery’s ongoing effort to reconstruct worst-case homes, businesses and communities that Sandy ravaged on Oct. 29, 2012 — and the myriad issues that residents and officials face as they piece together our shredded infrastructure. At the same time, we will look at state and local officials’ efforts to reinforce Long Island in the hope that we might be able to withstand nature’s fury better when the next monster storm hits. —Scott Brinton, senior editor more

Three years have passed since Hurricane Sandy devastated Long Island’s South Shore, and while most Seaford and Wantagh residents have stitched their lives back together, the journey was not been easy. more

For local residents, Oct. 29, 2012 will be one of a handful of historic dates that those on the south shore of Long Island will remember for the rest of their lives, talking about where they were … more

Tuesday, June 16, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Long Beach Hotel, 405 East Broadway, Long Beach more