Babylon Home Damaged in Sandy Suffers More Damage After Collapsing

A Babylon, Long Island, home that had seen extensive damage in 2012’s Superstorm Sandy has been badly damaged once again. Amidst an effort to make the home flood-proof, it ended up buckling under the weight of itself and collapsed in front of the owner’s eyes.

Randy Stewart had occupied the waterfront home for nearly 20 years. Since Hurricane Sandy, no one had been occupying the home, as it needed extensive repairs from the damage incurred by the storm.

The collapse happened at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. The house had been sitting on blocks for the past six weeks, waiting to be raised. According to Stewart, the work was set to resume Friday.

But instead, Stewart watched the home collapse before his eyes.

According to Fox 5 New York, Stewart rebuilt his home back in 2012 after it had incurred the initial damage from Sandy. In addition to foundations, Stewart added necessary home furnishings, such as energy efficient windows, which offer a number of safety benefits and energy efficiency perks, and new ceilings.

However, upon finishing, FEMA mandated that he raise the home in order to avoid future storm damage.

But according to Stewart, the work had been delayed because he was waiting for government grants to come through. Ultimately, the homeowner blames New York Rising for the collapse of his home.

When Fox 5 New York reached out to New York rising, the organization claimed that it sent Stewart $163,000 — $113,000 of which was meant to be dedicated to elevating his home.

Meanwhile, Stewart claims that he put a great deal of his own money into his own, insisting that he used his own out-of-pocket money to raise the now-collapsed house.

As for the future? Despite his numerous setbacks, Stewart tells news outlets that he plans on rebuilding once more.