New Yorkers will never forget the storm eight years ago that ripped through the region, damaging essential infrastructure and bringing down family homes throughout the city.

Barbara Garofalo, whose lived in Sea Gate her whole life, remembers that terrifying day Superstorm Sandy hit and the weeks, and years that followed.

"We lost a lot, we lost like nine homes, built it back, came in and helped those individuals. We lost our seawall sewer system, it got compromised and people really couldn't maneuver for a long while,” says Garofalo.

Thankfully, repairs are now underway, but she says it's taken not only a lot of time, but a lot of help from local leaders like city Councilman Mark Treyger to get state and federal support.

"FEMA funded 90% of our sewer repair built throughout the whole community,” says Garofalo.

That's expected to be completed in 2022. And while Councilman Treyger says they're grateful for the progress that's been made, there's still a lot that needs to be done.

“We need a lot more help, we need a lot more support, we need a regional resiliency plan,” says Treyger.

That's why he's pushing for the New York and New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study to be prioritized so Brooklyn communities can get the protection they need. The study was halted by the government earlier this year.

“That's a major issue for us because Mother Nature is not going by time clocks from Congress. Climate change is real; storms are getting more powerful and more frequent, and so time is of the essence,” says Treyger.

He's calling on leaders in Congress to fight for an infrastructure bill that would incorporate resiliency funding for Southern Brooklyn to protect communities should another storm come this way.