It’s been one year since a historic storm wreaked havoc along southern Maine’s coast with downpours and record-breaking tides. And one of the places hit the hardest was the Higgins beach area in Scarborough, who are still grappling with the impact it had.

The storm ripped sidings off houses, dislodged propane tanks, turned up sidewalks, and left the area unrecognizable once it passed through. To quote resident Max Freeman: “it looked like a bomb went off”.

Today the coastal community looks much less messy. “I’d say it’s about 80% back to normal. The sidewalks have been replaced. The poles have been put back, much of the houses have that siding put on, so it’s mostly back to normal,” said local rental manager Kevin Young

But while the effects of last year’s storm may seem in the rearview mirror, some in the community say bigger problems lie ahead.

“All that sand has been pushed up in the seawall is high-level now, which makes all these houses along Higgins susceptible to winter storms. One of my big fears is that we get the first winter storm and align with a full moon or new moon, and those houses are going to get pretty demolished,” said local science teacher Katie Strait.

“It’s definitely opened our eyes for the future of what we expect from mother nature and to be prepared for really anything,” said Young.

To read the original CBS 13 article, click here.