Cara and Mauricio Londono are about to mark their first wedding anniversary next week. What they will get to celebrate? Their first home will be destroyed. Everything including their wedding album is now in the dumpster out front.
The Londonos were told the /*Staten Island*/ home they just bought is dropping in the middle. The next time officials come by, their yellow sticker, which means "proceed with caution", will be changed to red, which means it will be condemned.
Authorities believe that some 200 homes throughout New York City like the Londonos' will have to be destroyed in weeks to come. That is on top of another 200 homes already obliterated by /*Superstorm Sandy*/.
Another 500 homes are still to be determined if there is enough structural integrity left to allow for rebuilding.
To put salt in their wounds, the city needs to tear down the houses as soon as possible. In many cases, they cannot find the homeowners to notify them, because many are now staying with friends or family or in hotels. So, it could turn out that homes will be torn down before homeowners are even notified.
There is also the question of who will pay for the demolitions. Many residents have been completely wiped out by Sandy.
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