haitian residents hurricane ida
Members of the New York City Fire Department helped people across Queens Boulevard through flash floods after remnants of Hurricane Ida brought 3 inches of rain per hour across the city. Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images

When she went to bed Sept. 1, Rashida Jacques of Queens Village said she expected significant rain. But when she awoke the next morning, she was shocked at the sheer amount of flooding New York City received. 

“It was actually a little surprising to see the devastation on the news,” said Jacques, a social worker. “Thankfully my area was not hit very hard, so I didn’t have the experience of many others that I saw on the news in other parts, like Hollis.”

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Sam is a reporter for The Haitian Times and a 2020 Report for America corps member. He has covered Haiti and its diaspora since 2018. His work has also appeared in USA Today, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Haiti Liberte. Sam can be reached at sam@haitiantimes.com or on Twitter @sambojarski.