With Hurricane Sandy, Irene Survivors Face Special Fears

A sense of deja vu may be the overriding sentiment in Lake Hiawatha, one of the areas hardest hit during last August's Hurricane Irene. Many in the area, displaced from their homes because of severe flooding in the township, are still in the process of recovering from that unprecedented event. And now, they await the predicted arrival of Hurricane Sandy.

Whatever happens "will be in God's hands," Lake Hiawatha resident Ernest Freeman told NJ.com.

Many forced out of their homes last year still aren't back in their residences. Lower Hiawatha features a number of houses in various states of repair. Some severely damaged buildings are on pedestals awaiting . Others are being rebuilt from scratch. Still others are to be torn down—in mid-October, the township, using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Morris County, approved the purchase of 21 homes deemed uninhabitable. The land beneath the houses will become open space.

Giving pause to many is the possibility that Sandy could be even worse than Irene was.

The key for residents will be to prepare in advance for the storm's expected landfall Monday. Mayor James Barberio has announced that the town's emergency management agencies are ready for whatever occurs.

Read more on the story at NJ.com.