After storm rain and flooding caused homes in city coastal areas to flood Friday, many are spending the day before Christmas picking up the pieces.

“We’re supposed to be together right now eating breakfast and enjoying Christmas Eve morning and instead we’re dealing with flood,” said Ivilis Pagan.

Pagan said she and her family lost everything after the high tide filled their Rockaways basement apartment with about four feet of water.

“It went from we waking up the kids and water rushing in and me putting blankets thinking it was just a little flooding, to the backdoor rushing in with water,” Pagan said.

On cellphone video provided by Pagan, her possessions clothes, bedding, food and sentimental effects can be seen all floating in stagnant dirty water.

“The Christmas tree, presents, everything was floating,” Pagan said.

Her family spent Christmas Eve morning at an ad hoc Red Cross facility in the auditorium of Goldie Maple Academy. Her family now needs temporary housing.

“It’s so I can stay with the kids and stuff case you know you can stay with family but with the holidays everybody is always visiting,” said Pagan who lives with three kids and a grandchild.

Gov. Kathy Hochul spent much of Saturday morning touring the Rockaways and assessing the damage.

She and other elected officials say they understand the frustrations some residents may feel in waiting for improvements to coastal area infrastructure that may prevent flooding in the future.

“That frustration is real and the most we can do is focus on the infrastructure that we think will make a difference is the Army Corp Engineers’ project to stop the water from raging in from the bay,” said Hochul

“While we’re talking about the rockaways there are other areas of queens that have been impacted by climate change, so here Howard beach Hamilton beach all of these projects are working in tandem - we’re taking 52 million dollars,” added Borough President Donovan Richards at a news conference Saturday.

At the moment, for residents like Pagan, what’s next is taking it one day at a time. Even with the loss, she’s counting her blessings this holiday season.

“This was supposed to be the start of a new year in a new home and a new family and stuff and all of us being together. So now it’s just keeping out of everything — I might not have the home and stuff, but at least I have the family,” said Pagan.

Officials are stressing that residents should not suffer in silence. They’re encouraging those impacted by the storm to call 311 and contact the Red Cross for help.