Sandy Took Her Home but Gave Her Some Perspective

After Sandy destroyed her apartment, Cherell Manuel became a problem solver and advocate for herself and thousands of other low-income New Yorkers who ended up in hotels. 

Today, she lives in a 3-bedroom apartment in Far Rockaway, Queens, the same neighborhood where she was rescued five years ago Sunday. Her daughter Najh-ja, who was six at the time, remembers riding in the cab of a tractor in the middle of night. For her, the hotels were fun and exciting. But for Manuel, the pressure of not having a permanent home was intense. And eating greasy takeout food was bad for her health.

Now that she can cook again, she's 73 pounds slimmer. But she has new housing issues — this time with one of her neighbors. But she tries to maintain perspective.

"I lost everything I built for 46 years," she said in a recent interview. "But when you do look back at it and think about it, you know, some people died."