With prayers and reflection, music and tears, the members of the Stony Brook community encouraged one another on Saturday following the devastating flood a few days earlier.

On a steep, grassy hill in front of All Souls Episcopal Church on the hamlet’s main street, about 70 people gathered for a service called “After the Flood.” Down the street, spectators looked out over Mill Pond, where a dam broke early Monday morning, unleashing a wave of destruction.

The service highlighted a community’s resilience as local officials vowed to rebuild homes and provide assistance to those affected by the powerful storm, which dumped between 6 and 10 inches of rain. According to Suffolk County authorities, at least 1,400 homes were damaged or impacted in some way by the storm. On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a disaster for Suffolk, allowing affected homeowners to apply for grants of up to $50,000.

Rob Taylor, whose house is across the street from the creek near the dam failure site, said the service was intended to bring the community together to pick up the pieces of a “terrible scar,” similar to that which occurs after a tragic death.

“The idea was to come together, show gratitude, experience healing and just come together,” said Taylor, whose basement was flooded.

Dan Kerr, director of community outreach at All Souls Church, recalled Taylor coming to church earlier in the week and describing what had happened. When Kerr asked what the church could do to help, Taylor suggested organizing a community service.

Taylor and his neighbor Ron Borgese, who escaped his house just in time with his wife Hui Yan and dog Snowy, described their terrible morning, thanked everyone for their support and expressed hope for the future.

Part of Borgese and Yan’s home, including the master bedroom, an office and a bathroom, were swept away by the floods.

“We are all very lucky to be part of this community,” Borgese said, describing how their “little piece of heaven” is now gone.

In tears, Yan thanked the church, neighbors and family.

“We will work hard, we will be stronger,” she said.

Brookhaven City Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and Supervisor Dan Panico presented the couple with a gift wrapped in brown paper containing a framed photograph of the couple from their July 21 wedding.

Kornreich said a large poster of the couple was found amid the rubble. Finishing Touch Photo of Setauket made a smaller print, which was framed and presented to the couple.

“All is not lost,” Borgese said.

Gloria Rocchio, president of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, recalled a recent conversation with a woman sitting on a bench at the nearby mall. The woman asked her what would happen to the now-empty pond.

“She said, ‘You know, this is the heart and soul of Stony Brook,'” Rocchio recalled. “And I said to myself, she’s right.”

When the service ended, many in the crowd walked across the street to Taylor’s backyard, where a young night heron was released. The bird, named Brookie, was found barely alive among debris in Taylor’s yard on Thursday.

“He was soaked and cold,” said Veronica Sayers, program coordinator at the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown.

Sayers brought the bird to her facility in Smithtown for rehabilitation. Brookie recovered quickly once the weather warmed up, she said.

On Saturday, Sayers opened the cage at the back of the yard and carefully eased the bird out. It flew low to the ground and quickly disappeared from view as the crowd applauded.

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as editor of two local newspapers on the North Fork.

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