Younkins said officials are impressed with the way employees have responded to the crisis, but not surprised that the court "family" banded together at a difficult time.
"We are very proud of our family and how it has responded to Hurricane Sandy, both in ensuring that the courts affected were able to return to operations as soon as possible and helping the individuals who were affected, many of whom have been out of their homes and continue to come to work and do their job despite the difficulties," Younkins said. "We are also very pleased with the response of colleagues who are donating supplies and making contributions."
Meanwhile, the federal courts and their employees in Brooklyn and Manhattan are still dealing with Sandy fallout as well.
Employees in both the Eastern and Southern districts who live in low-lying areas suffered during the storm, including two employees in the federal court in Manhattan who lost their homes in the storm surge and several employees in both districts who have had to deal with water damage, basement flooding and loss of power.
Eastern District Chief Judge Carol Amon (See Profile) said FEMA employees gave an onsite presentation to courthouse personnel in Brooklyn about a federal program that aids federal employees in natural disasters. Eastern District Clerk of Court Douglas Palmer said many employees have taken available time off to help their parents and elderly relatives in the aftermath of the storm.
@|John Caher can be contacted at jcaher@alm.com.
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