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Jeanne Bergman and Melissa Tyson were hard at work Tuesday morning cleaning tools damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Both are former students of Blacksmith Marsha Trattner.

"To have gotten hit with so much water was really kind of a shock," Trattner said.

Six feet of water filled the studio she moved into just two weeks before the storm.

NY1 first met Marsha Trattner a few years ago when the station featured her School of Visual Arts blacksmithing class, which teaches the ancient art of reshaping metal. Much of the machinery and many tools she uses for class and her own artwork was ravaged by the storm surge.

"Lost a lot of torch equipment, parts of forges, electrical tools, all kinds of hand tools," Trattner said.

As if trying to get her business back up and running wasn't enough, Trattner's Red Hook apartment was also flooded. She has been staying in a hotel since the storm and doesn't know when she will be able to get back home.

"It's hard to work and clean up a space for my work and then look for housing at the same time, so it's definitely a challenge," Trattner said.

Helping her meet that challenge are neighbors and former students who are lending a hand with the clean-up, allowing Trattner to get some work done along the way and begin teaching again.

"I was lucky I didn't have really much damage at all, I was very lucky so I knew Marsha needed help and wanted to help in any way that I could," said Kristin Fraidenburgh, a neighbor.

"I hope that Marsha can get back to work really quickly, get back on her feet and keep being able to make beautiful art for people," said Chrissie Nagy, a former student.

"Trattner says fellow blacksmiths around the area have already offered to send equipment to help her out.

For information on her classes and artwork, visit marshatrattner.com.