Super storm Sandy, initially described as a hurricane, not only brought high winds that knocked down trees, it delivered sand, and a ton of it, for more than a few local bayfront homes.
One recipient is the Linker family, whose three acres on Oak Road in Bayport once boasted green landscaping all the way to the lapping bay.
The property now boasts an extensive sandy beach over nearly one half of the front lawn as Sandy built her own dune during her visit on October 30.
It's taken four days of constant payloader work to get the sand down to lawn level.
"This was absolutely the worst we've had since living here," said Ingke Linker, who has lived with her spouse Philip in the home for 40 years. "It's worst than Gloria or any of the Nor'Easters."
Sandy also demolished a small beach cottage on the property which served as a guest house complete with a bathroom and heating system. Sandy ripped off most of the front of the structure and then just pushed bay water in and through the structure and up toward the main house.
The extreme bay surge flooded two areas of the Linkers' main house and crawl space and decimated the heating system.
It was Sandy's high winds that knocked down trees further north on Suydam Lane and Willow that knocked the power out the night of the storm and kept most of Suydam Lane, south of Willow, without lights for nearly two weeks.
"We just got power back last night [November 9]," said Ingke Linker, adding that 12 days of no lights and heat had taken an emotional toll.
"We've spent every day cleaning, repairing and working here and then the nights at our daughter's house. Now that the power is back we are hoping to get the heat system working and get back to some sort of normalcy."
