Held on the 5th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, In Harm’s Way was a physical exhibit held from October 6 to December 31, 2017 at the Long Island Museum of Art History and Carriages located in Stony Brook, New York. Aimed at educating, documenting, and sharing the lived experiences of generations impacted by natural disasters on Long Island across the last century, In Harm’s Way showcased stark realities for the community as they coped with environmental destruction and upheaval spurred by superstorms like Hurricane Sandy. Now made more prevalent as climate change roars forward, residents of Long Island have a long history of finding creative ways to cope with environmental threats to their habitat.
Storms and hurricanes play important roles in the history of Long Island, determining where houses stand, what lives in our bays and waterways, what we find most valuable in preparing for storms, and what new technologies and building practices we will need in the future. From the 1800s onward, each generation who has inhabited Long Island can recall a storm of such force that legends and stories survive to this day.
This virtual exhibit is meant to showcase the materials from the physical exhibit in an online environment so that visitors can experience In Harm’s Way no matter their location. The exhibit is divided into three sections: Looking Backwards; Irene Lee, and Sandy; and Looking Forwards. Browse through archival photos, video interviews, photographs from the 2017 exhibit, and documents from the storms to learn more about Long Island, its history with natural disasters, and human adaptation to climate threats across time.
