Sandy Devastates Pocono Community

Chestunthill Township, Monroe County - People arriving at vacation homes in part of the Poconos discovered devastation from Hurricane Sandy.

It looks like a war zone when you drive into the small community of Lake Mineola near Brodheadsville. Resident and Vietnam Veteran Carl Fink said, "I never saw devastation like this."

Fink was home when Sandy's wind roared in. He remembered, "It just shook the whole house."

Sandy tore trees from the roots. Pines took down utility wires and smashed houses. Roads were blocked. Someone from a tree service made a path to check on the residents. Fink said, "When Dehaven's Tree Service came in she was crying. She said she thought we were dead when she saw how bad the cottages were."

Fran Mavus told Eyewitness News trees damaged nearly every home in the lake-side community. She said, "After the second big one fell right above our head, then I bawled."

She cried because Lake Mineola is a special place for her and her family. She's the 5^th generation to live in the lake house. She met her husband there as a teen. She added, "My daughter got engaged here. My son got married here."

Mavus wants her grandchildren and her great-granddaughter to experience what she did in the community. So she's prepared to do what it takes to clear the devastation. She said, "Hopefully they can bring it back to being normal so to speak."