'Superheroes' Save LV Residents From Sandy

The massive tree, like so many others, came crashing down and into the house, causing instant devastation.

And the power hadn’t even gone out yet.

That’s how Hurricane Sandy treated the Sullivan family of Long Valley, who live in the southern portion of the township.

Susan Sullivan was in Massachusetts at the time, and received a phone call from her daughter, crying, explaining what had just happened. Sullivan’s husband, daughter and daughter’s fiancé were all in the home at the time.

“So I called four people right away,” Sullivan said. “My insurance company, a tree company, my pastor, and Kirk Ogden, who had put shingles on our roof in the past. The first thing Kirk said was, ‘do you want me to go get them.’”

Sullivan, who said she’s worked with Ogden in the past, knows the Long Valley resident and his family, but aren’t close friends, and was shocked by the response.

“I was overwhelmed by the immediate response,” Sullivan said.

Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath brought out a greatness in the human spirit for so many, as homes, roads and complete towns were ravaged by the storm’s strength. Sullivan learned firsthand what kind of people lived in her town.

The immediate response grew, as did the outpouring of support, Sullivan said.

The Long Valley resident was able to return home the following day as bridges and tunnels were slowly reopening in the Northeast. Not one to be complacent, Sullivan kicked the phone calls and repair project into high gear.

“When I got home, Kirk said he would order the shingles for the roof right away, and then would put a tarp on the roof once the tree was removed,” Sullivan said.

From there, Sullivan went from receiving help to getting “superheroes” to help her.

The family headed to Bob’s Long Valley Pizza that night, like so many other residents, as it was the only restaurant in town serving any kind of food. Bob’s worked off generators to keep the ovens running for nearly two weeks.

While at Bob’s, Sullivan bumped into John Harrington, whom she once worked for. She explained to Harrington, who owns Harrington & Sons, Inc. full-service contractors, what happened to her home.

“’We’ll be there at 7 a.m. tomorrow,’ he told me,” Sullivan said. “And just like Johnny, he had a crew of guys at my house at 7 a.m. the next morning.”

A tree service said it would be a full week before the massive arbor that crashed through the Sullivan home could be removed. That time table, however, wasn’t good enough for Harrington.

“(Harrington) went out and purchased a crane to get the tree off the house,” Sullivan said. “And it wasn’t just me–he was doing whatever he could for as many people as possible.”

Superheroes Beat Super Storm

For nearly two weeks, much of Washington Township received its nutrition from Bob’s. At the end of the first week, Ogden’s outgoing message said he could not take on any more business due to such high volume.

“Why do we call them unsung heroes?” Sullivan asked. “We should be singing their praises. Bob (Prudente) grew up here, Johnny’s been here almost his whole life, and Kirk's been around forever.

“They really, truly care about this town, and it showed,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan’s house was completely repaired in just seven weeks, allowing for the family to spend Christmas at home.

“There were just three rooms in the house not affected by the tree or water damage,” Sullivan said. “To be completely repaired in seven weeks … it was miraculous.”

So Sullivan took it upon herself to recognize the heroes that helped her fight Sandy’s aftermath, and made superhero capes for Ogden, Harrington and Prudente.

Reactions were mixed, but the gesture was well accepted, Sullivan said.

While the unsung heroes may not seek recognition or accolades for their work during Washington Township’s most devastating storm, those they helped will never forget how their efforts made such a hard time that much easier.