Shoreline Resident Salvages 'Lives' From Storm's Debris

In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene in August, Anna Rose Russo and her husband, Bernie, were out walking in the ravaged Cosey Beach neighborhood when they spied personal items left behind in the debris.

"It just came to me, these are people’s lives," she said, so she and Bernie collected some of the items and displayed them in front of their house at 41 Hobson Street.

"It makes you look at life different," she said.

The Russos live on high ground only a half block from the beach road where much of the destruction occurred when the tropical storm hit on Aug. 28. They stayed in their home during the storm and Anna Rose said their house was not damaged.

Her idea was to salvage personal items and furniture in case someone wanted to reclaim them. She added a sign that reads: "Remnants of Tropical Storm Irene."

Among the items she saved were an old chest, children’s fishing gear, paddles and oars, a hockey stick, a breadbox and various knickknacks, a bag of books, shoes, a birdhouse and even an unopened container of Hersey’s syrup.

One of the more poignant items was a ceramic dog with a sign that says, "My heart will always be in a cottage by the sea."

Anna Rose Russo said a number of people have, in fact, come by and claimed items that were dear to them. One woman took a brown and white, stuffed dog that she had gotten on a trip somewhere as a momento.

"She said it meant the world to her," Russo said.

Another woman reclaimed her cat’s bed.

Russo said life has not returned to normal along the beach, more than one and a half months after the storm. Debris and other evidence of the storm’s destruction are still there, and many of the homes are dark at night, indicating that the owners haven’t been able to move back in.

The Russos have lived on Hobson Street for decades and knew many of those families as neighbors. Anna Rose said lots of homeowners are still waiting for their insurance money.

"We hurt for the people who are down there," she said. "It’s almost like a war zone."

She said she hopes more people find cherished belongings among those she has displayed at her house. "And hopefully it will help people with the healing process," she said.