Seventeen-year-old Liandra Munroe described the moments leading up to the fire, recalling, "I thought it was just rats, because, you know, we live in NYC." She soon noticed the light sparking and the smell of smoke, highlighting the confusion and fear present before the fire was fully realized. Despite the destruction, thankfully, there were no reported injuries.
Sarai Gonzalez recounted the terrifying experience of being huddled with her family during Hurricane Rafael, highlighting her despair upon discovering the destruction to her home the next day.