In the tense hours of Oct. 29, as the residents of the Jersey Shore braced themselves for the violent lashing that Hurricane Sandy would bring, Dawn Rusinko, a member of Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, ventured out to the beach road with her camera, hoping for a memorable photo of the storm.

The photo, taken before the storm on Oct. 29, was not the only memory she took home from the experience. “That building in the photo is a house that I was standing next to when I saw all that water from the beach come up that far. I went to leave and a huge wave knocked me down on my face. The water and seafoam covered me and I thought it would carry me out to sea and I would be done for,” she recalled.

With gratitude, Rusinko acknowledged, “God spared me and I was left with this beautiful shot. It goes to show you how strong the ocean is and how little control we have. I suppose I should not have been there, but I was close to the street of East Ave. so I did not think it would come so close to me. … but the water kept going from the ocean to the lake on the other side of the street.”

Being buffeted by the waters, Rusinko realized her precarious position. “After getting knocked down and seeing the two waters meet I knew it was time for me to high tail it out of there quick. I did and trust me when I tell you, I will never forget this storm. That night the ocean came to my house. It was as though it was following me from that morning,” she said.

Recalling the view from her front window as the waters raged around her house, Rusinko added, “It looked as though I were on a boat out at sea and the rush of waves were moving quickly. My basement was so flooded I lost 30 years of my family’s history, my furnace, my washer and drier, my refrigerator and freezer, and so much more. A truly unforgettable storm.”