Like tens of thousands of residents across New Jersey, Gina Farelli is trying to put her life back together. Farelli is a CNA at Arnold Walter Nursing Home in Hazlett and, until Hurricane Sandy hit two weeks ago, she lived with her family in the town of Keanesburg in Monmouth County, near the Jersey Shore. When Sandy hit, Farelli's home, along with all the others in her neighborhood, was engulfed in an eight-foot surge of contaminated water.

"My foundation is cracked. The floor in the kitchen is all sinking in. the side of the roof is all torn off. Two of my sheds were ruined. My back room was ruined and my washer and dryer were destroyed," said an exhausted Farelli.

"My street normally gets flooded when it rains, but this time an eight-foot wave hit the houses. Now we just have to wait for the insurance company to come and tell us what they are going to do."

Farelli, her husband, and her two young children have been staying with her mother who also likes in Keanesburg, but whose home didn't sustain as much damage as Farelli's. Last year, the family's house was battered by Hurricane Irene, but Sandy's wrath was far worse.

"It's very depressing," said Farelli. "I don't even want to see the house, but I went and there was a sticker on it saying I couldn't go in because it was dangerous."

Her co-worker Hector Comeo was also flooded out of his Keanesburg home. Comeo, who is also a CNA, has been staying with his family at an aunt's house in Middletown.

"We took passports, important papers and some clothes, but the whole first floor of my house flooded and there were souvenirs furniture and pictures there," he said.

Comeo has been checking on the house and, like Farelli, trying to get answers. "We've been in touch with FEMA," he said. "Every other day, they give us food, water, ice, and clothes. We are still waiting for the inspector to come and look at the house. As of now, there's a sticker on the house saying no one is allowed to enter. It's no good. It's really bad. It smells."

Comeo and Farelli both say they just want to try to regain some normalcy. "My town is like a ghost town," said Comeo. "All of my neighbors are going through the same things. I'm hoping that we can get some help; maybe some kind of emergency loans or something like that because we are going to have to buy new furniture and things like that."