Video Diary of Sandy (Part 4): 'You Can't Lay Down and Die'

John Thornton, a resident of the Ocean City Homes neighborhood on the south end of Ocean City and a teacher at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, recently completed the fourth and final segment of a film about the impact of Superstorm Sandy on his friends, neighbors and hometown.

The first 14-minute segment of the film starts on Saturday, Oct. 27, two days before Sandy makes landfall and continues through the storm. The second part of the film is about Sandy's impact on Ocean City. It starts the day after Sandy makes landfall as Thornton gets his first look at the storm's effects. The third segment of film shows Thornton visiting the flooded home of his stepson and family as they start to gut their house and come to grips with their devastating loss.

To see the first three parts of the film, click on the YouTube icons above on the right.

The final segment (featured above) looks at the bay side of the island and considers what the storm has meant for the community. It also looks at the island's struggle for some kind of a comeback. The film ends on New Year's Day with First Night celebrations and Thornton's annual plunge into the ocean at the south end. 

At the request of several viewers, Thornton has compiled a DVD of the four segments of film — combined at just over an hour. Anybody who is interested in obtaining a copy can email Thornton. He says $15 will cover the costs of making and mailing copies.