for fran adelson the lessons of sandy is that communities whether on long island or oklahoma shouldn't lose faith in their struggle to rebuild. >> i would say fight for every dime, every single dime from the insurance companies. do not stop. be tenacious. i don't care if you need to have it become your secon full time job. do it. go for it. you deserve it. you've been paying insurance all along. do not stop until you get what you deserve, until you're able to rebuild and get back in your home. >> reporter: the people of long beach say their greatest asset in rebuilding came not from the federal government or the insurance industry but their own tight-knit community. in new jersey alone, storm damage from sandy has been estimated at more than $36 billion, with what 365,000 homes destroyed. >>> a gop veteran's strong words about his party. is he right that it needs to retool? we're going to discuss that coming up next. >>> and a little girl who needs new lungs is fighting for her life, but age might hurt her chances. >>> the family of british soldier hacked to death by terrorists in lond

seven months after superstorm sandy tore through long beach, long island, fran adelson is about to rebuild four feet of water caused so much damage that she decided, like many of her neighbors, to raise the house on a concrete platform. what caused the delay, a protracted battle with her insurance carrier. >> seven months later, this is what's going on. not just for me, for everybody else. it has been nothing but frustration, nobody ever expected it would take this long. nobody ever expected. you figure, okay, a couple of months, but then time goes on and time goes on and you just -- you know, the money coming too late, it is coming too late for a lot of people. >> reporter: superstorm sandy didn't claim any lives in long beach, but it affected nearly every one of the 35,000 residents. a quarter of the population is still displaced and businesses are still shuttered as memorial day marks the beginning of the summer tourist season. the city has been famous for its boardwalk and its surfing. the iconic boardwalk is being rebuilt, and the waves are still breaking. but luke hamlet who has run