A Long Island man is living in his backyard, 10 months after Sandy flooded him out of his home and federal aid has expired.
Chuck Burgio's backyard in Lindenhurst, N.Y., is outfitted with an air mattress, a gym and a patio table. It's home for now, since his actual house is gutted -- there's no floor, just standing two-by-fours and exposed piping.
"I've been in the backyard right here, getting bit up by mosquitoes and gnats," he said.
Sandy dumped four feet of water in the area and devastated much of the area. While Burgio's neighbors have rebuilt, he's been left in the cold.
"Where am I going to go? I have no money," he said.
Up until a week ago, Burgio was living in local motels, but then federal aid ran dry. So now Burgio says he's making the best of the situation, accepting food from charities, going to the bathroom at a nearby diner and letting neighbors lend a helping hand.
John Warry, one neighbor, said he was worried for Burgio when it rained Monday morning.
"We tried to wake him, and we weren't sure if he was alive," he said. "He's not moving, we're getting worried. We can't have that."
But things seem to looking up. NBC 4 New York was there Monday evening when a good Samaritan dropped by.
"He just came here and put $500 in my hand and told me he's going to do this whole house for nothing," said a stunned Burgio. "I'm going to have a heart attack."
One non-profit offered to put him in another hotel until his home is rebuilt. Burgio planned to sleep in his backyard again Monday night, but plans to take the group up on their offer.