October 31, 2012

NJ's barrier islands are scenes of devastation

Neighborhoods cherished by tourists and homeowners are scattered, broken, and in some cases, completely gone.

The Associated Press

MANTOLOKING, N.J. — Mew Jersey's delicate barrier islands, long and slender strips of land cherished by generations of sunbathing vacationers and full-time residents alike, are a hazardous wasteland of badly eroded shore, ruined beachfront homes, flooded streets and damaged utilities.

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Workers try to clear boats and debris from the New Jersey Transit's Morgan draw bridge Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in South Amboy, N.J., after Monday's storm surge from Sandy pushed boats and cargo containers onto the train tracks. New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, which provides train service from the New Jersey shore towns to New York City, may experience prolonged disruption because of the extensive damage. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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This aerial photo shows the damage to an amusement park left in the wake of superstorm Sandy on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in Seaside Heights, N.J. New Jersey got the brunt of Sandy, which made landfall in the state and killed six people. More than 2 million customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, down from a peak of 2.7 million. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

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The full extent of the devastation on the island that hosts MTV's "Jersey Shore" came into sharper focus Wednesday, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Signs of the good life that had defined wealthy enclaves like Bayhead and Mantoloking lie scattered and broken: $3,000 barbecue grills buried beneath the sand and hot tubs cracked and filled with seawater.

Nearly all the homes were seriously damaged, and many were destroyed - no trace of them left.

"This," said Harry Typaldos, who owns the Grenville Inn in Mantoloking, "I just can't comprehend."

New Jersey got the brunt of superstorm Sandy, which made landfall in the state and killed six people here. More than 2 million customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, down from a peak of 2.7 million.

Some parts of the shore might never look the same, Gov. Chris Christie said.

The governor joined President Barack Obama aboard Marine One on Wednesday afternoon for an aerial tour of the storm damage along the shore, the economic engine that powers New Jersey's $35.5 billion tourism industry.

Nearly 48 hours after Sandy made landfall, the most densely populated state in the nation was still very much in a state of emergency.

Most mass transit systems were shut down, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters braving clogged highways and quarter-mile lines at gas stations. Closed, too, were Atlantic City's casinos. And Christie postponed Halloween until Monday, saying trick-or-treating wasn't safe in towns with flooded and darkened streets, fallen trees and downed power lines.

Nearly 20,000 residents were stranded in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, amid accusations that officials have been slow to deliver food and water. One man blew up an air mattress and floated to City Hall, demanding to know why supplies hadn't gotten out. Public Safety Director Jon Tooke defended the city's response, saying at least 25 percent of Hoboken remained under water and emergency personnel and the National Guard are working round-the-clock.

On the opposite end of the state, hairdresser Robert Dennis desperately tried to flag a ride out of Atlantic City to work in Pleasantville, several miles away. His car was flooded and taxis wouldn't take him because they can't get back in.

"I'm ready to walk," he said. "I didn't plan on getting stuck. I thought I had my car at a high enough level."

In Little Egg Harbor Township, a coastal community bordering the southern end of Long Beach Island, streets and yards were clogged with battered pleasure craft - and the docks they had been tied to. Residents still had at least 2 feet of water in their homes.

New Jersey has 127 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Most of the beach destinations, including famed spots like Seaside Heights, Atlantic City and Wildwood, are on barrier islands that range in width from a few hundred feet to a couple of miles. The islands are so narrow that bay met ocean during the height of the storm, with water covering entire islands and making a mockery of the sandbags that some had placed around their homes.

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Additional Photos

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A boat rests up against a house in the wake of superstorm Sandy Wednesday Oct. 31, 2012 in Cedar Bonnet Island, NJ. Power is still out and residents who evacuated the island are still not being allowed back in. Sandy was being blamed for at least six deaths across the state of New Jersey plus power outages that at their peak Monday affected 2.7 million residential and commercial customers. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

  


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