Sandy damaged houses across Long Island, such as this one in Atlantique on Fire Island.

Superstorm Sandy went down in history six months ago as one of the biggest natural disasters to hit Long Island, irreversibly changing its landscape and washing away many residents’ sense of security.

While the widespread blackouts, lengthy gas-shortage lines, catastrophic flooding and mountainous debris piles are mostly just a memory, recovery efforts are still most visible on LI’s Atlantic Ocean-facing barrier beaches that suffered the worst damage.

“Sandy to some people is gone, it’s passed,” said James Mallot, the mayor of Ocean Beach, Fire Island’s unofficial capital. “We live it out there every single minute of the day.”

The village, like the rest of LI’s Sandy-ravaged beachfront communities, is rushing to prepare for Memorial Day weekend, the kickoff to the summer beach and tourist season that pumps billions into the local economy.

Meanwhile, a breach that Sandy caused in Fire Island’s federal wilderness area to the east of the residential communities remains open, which has become a point of contention between those who blame the breach on flooding in communities near the Great South Bay and others who argue it’s cleaning out the polluted waterways.

The storm, a massive hybrid of a category 1 hurricane that merged with a nor’easter, is considered the worst to hit the region since the infamous “Long Island Express” in 1938.

Looking to Katrina for Perspective on Sandy Recovery Timeline

In the City of Long Beach on LI’s westernmost barrier island, officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday to commemorate construction of the new boardwalk to replace the old one that Sandy destroyed—although the Long Beach Medical Center is still closed.

“We came together months ago to mourn the loss of our boardwalk,” Scott Mandel, president of the Long Beach City council, told hundreds of residents who gathered for the event. “Today we come together to celebrate the rebirth of it. Long Beach is coming back better than ever.”

A five-mile stretch of badly damaged Ocean Parkway on Jones Beach Island just reopened last week after contractors rebuilt the roadway’s protective dunes that were washed away. Parts of Jones Beach itself are already reopened, but Robert Moses State Park is still closed.

And in the Hamptons, some millionaires have sparked controversy by building seawalls—work that may be challenged in court—in the hopes of protecting their oceanfront mansions, The New York Times recently reported.

Signs of a comeback can be found on mainland LI as well. Camp Bulldog, a makeshift support network in Lindenhurst that was a lifeline for residents coping in Sandy’s aftermath, closed over the weekend. On the North Shore, the West Shore Road seawall is nearing completion. And East Rockaway Junior-High School reopened Monday just in time to mark the six-month mark of the Oct. 29 storm.

Also on Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that its four remaining disaster recovery centers in Long Beach, Island Park, Seaford and Copiague will become Disaster Loan Outreach Centers on Wednesday, indicating another milestone in the recovery process.

“New York has made tremendous progress in the six months since Sandy,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Sandy operations. “But the work is not done.”

Angel Martinez was charged with assault, criminal use of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police said the 47-year-old suspect shot the 36-year-old victim in the abdomen after asking to speak to him outside Costa Del Sol Restaurant and Bar on Austin Boulevard near the alleged gunman’s home at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The suspect fled and the victim walked home to Long Beach, where his friend called 911, authorities have said. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he is listed in stable condition with a non-life threatening injury.

Police apprehended Martinez in Wyandanch on Tuesday. He also had an open warrant for disorderly conduct in Hempstead, police said.  He will be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Sandy victims gather in Island Park before bus trip to Washington D.C. (Rashed Mian/Long Island Press)

A group of Superstorm Sandy victims loaded into a bus in Island Park early Tuesday morning as they prepared to descend on Capitol Hill where they will try to convince a divided Congress to approve a full relief package two months after Sandy ravaged the area, crippling infrastructure and leaving many to fend for themselves.

Going along for the ride to Washington, D.C. was 12-year-old Island Park resident John Byrne who stood at a podium in his hometown and passed along a stern message to members of Congress: stop the “political shenanigans,” he said to applause.

That rallying cry seemed to galvanize the dozens of storm weary residents who boarded the bus just after 6 a.m. with the hopes of coming back to Long Island with two “yes” votes in their back pockets.

“We should be getting the money, we should’ve gotten it already—it’s time to stop,” said 38-year-old Roy Gunther.

Storm victims have grown frustrated with Congress’ inability to approve a full relief package despite emotional testimony from local lawmakers. Those making the trek to Washington D.C. hope personal testimony will help convince lawmakers to approve two aid packages that are expected to go in front of the House Tuesday.

A $18 billion bill is expected to address emergency needs and another $33 billion bill—the most controversial—would help allocate funds and resources to assist in recovery efforts and also includes long-term projects focused on preventive measures for future storms.

So far, Congress has only approved a $9 billion bill for the national flood insurance program.

“I feel like the only one’s helping each other are us,” said Melissa Van Wickler of East Rockaway, before boarding the bus. “I’m only one person and I’ve been volunteering so much time all up and down from East Rockaway, Oceanside, Island Park.”

She added: “We need more people to make a difference.”

Sandy victims board a bus that will take them to Washington D.C. where they will push for Sandy aid. (Rashed Mian/Long Island Press)

Historically, the federal government is quick to approve funds for relief efforts. It only took Congress two weeks to approve $62.3 billion in federal emergency appropriations after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans.

Also making the trip to the Nation’s Capitol are Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and is Suffolk County counterpart Steve Bellone.

“We bring our voices to members of Congress today,” Mangano blasted into a microphone.

“When Americans are hurting and suffering our country has always been there to support them…until now,” added Bellone. “We need this bill passed now.”

In December, the Senate passed a $62 billion recovery bill with bipartisan support but the legislation was never brought to the floor of the House, leading Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) to blast his fellow Republicans and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Last week, King said on his Facebook page that “I think we’re going to have the votes” to pass the Sandy aid package.

Despite the delay in aid, some attending the rally said a federal relief package is better late then never.

“We can still save homes, still save business, we can still save lives if we effectively apply this aid,” said Walk A Mile in Our Shoes co-founder Peter Corless, who organized the trip.