SCHOLASTIC Weekly Reader® Hurricanes are among the

Now Including
SCHOLASTIC
Weekly Reader®
Vol. 70 No. 6 ISSN 0736 0576
October 21,2013
Edition 3
BraimBuilder
What do you already
know about hurricanes?
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like to knl
Hurricanes are
among the
most powerful
storms on Earth,
One hit Elizabeth
Nies's hometown
last year.
Elizabeth In
Breezy Point, a
neighborhood in
New York City.
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Sandy
I Survived a
On October 29, 2012,
a hurricane known as
Superstorm Sandy pounded
the East Coast of the United
States. New York and
New Jersey were hit
the hardest. A year
later, some areas
are still recovering
from the storm.
Thirteen-year-old
Elizabeth Nies of
Breezy Point in
New York City
remembers it
all too well. The
storm destroyed
most of her neighborhood.
Point. But it wasn't until
Firefighters rushed to help.
Elizabeth stepped out onto
"There were firemen up
the porch that she and her
to their chests with water,"
family knew they were in
Elizabeth remembers.
trouble. A huge wave was
coming at them from a
After the Storm
nearby bay. The hurricane's
By morning, the storm
powerful winds had caused had passed. Elizabeth's house
the bay to overflow.
was still standing. But many
Water poured into the
of her neighbors weren't so
basement of Elizabeth's
lucky. More than 100 homes
house. It was too late to
had burned to the ground.
evacuate, so her family
Hundreds more had been
headed upstairs.
flooded.
"I was really scared that
"We didn't have any
somebody was going to get electricity or places to go
hurt," says Elizabeth.
get food," says Elizabeth.
From a window, she saw
For two months, she and
furniture floating through
her family stayed at her
The Hurricane Hits
the streets. She watched
grandfather's house.
News reports that day had neighbors escape their
A year later, the people
warned that a hurricane
homes in boats.
of Breezy Point are still
was heading toward Breezy
But water wasn't the only
rebuilding their homes. That
worry. That night, a fire
has made the community
Words to Know
much closer. "We're all
evacuate: leave a place of danger broke out in a house down
community: a group of people
the street. Wind spread
thankful for each other,"
living in the same place
theflamesto other homes.
Elizabeth says.
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