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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Brian Williams speaks with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who describes the iconic places on the Jersey Shore that have been wiped out after Sandy, such the boardwalk in Belmar. All that remains is water, sand and debris. Christie said he's committed to rebuilding with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
An ariel shot reveals damage in New Jersey Shore from Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday.
The New Jersey Shore, the East Coast’s summer playground, famous for its amusement parks, fine white sand beaches, family vacation cottages and even a reality TV show, could be among areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.
On Tuesday, stark images of leveled homes, shredded boardwalks, boats tossed blocks inland and acres of sand hurled hundreds of yards from the coast began to emerge.
Aerial video on Thursday from state police via NBC’s News10 in Philadelphia showed homes splintered and others surrounded by floodwaters.
In footage from a New Jersey National Guard helicopter, beach homes along Seaside Heights were strewn at odd angles off their foundations, debris was on fire and roads were inundated with sand.
One reader commented on Facebook that it looked like Normandy Beach, site of the allied forces landing in France during World War II.
According to a media pool reporter who accompanied Coast Guard Rear Adm. Steven H. Ratti in a flyover on Tuesday the destruction is extensive. Ratti said he was surprised at the number of washed-out bridges and new inlets carved through New Jersey's barrier Islands. Ratti also noted how unusual it is to see those beach towns so empty.
"Normally you see folks on the beach, cars, but saw little of that today," Ratti said.
In an appearance on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams Tuesday evening, Gov. Chris Christie called the damage "unthinkable."
Watch aerials from the New Jersey State Police of the devastation from Sandy along the New Jersey Shore. Raw video.
"I flew over the Seaside Heights boardwalk today. The roller coaster, the log flume ride are in the ocean," Christie told Williams. "The boardwalk in front of Lucky Leos is gone. It’s literally gone. The big sausage and pepper stand in the middle is gone."
Christie said that kind of damage could be seen up and down the Jersey Shore.
"All you see is water and sand and debris where the boardwalk used to be," Christie said of Belmar.
"I’m committed to rebuilding," Christie said. "We’re going to do it. It’s not only the heart of our economy, it’s the soul of New Jersey. The Jersey Shore is the soul of New Jersey."
A dune constructed to protect Point Pleasant Beach was blown away by the storm surge, sending sand far inland, NBC’s Ron Mott reported.
Reporting from Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, NBC's Ron Allen reports that the sand dunes designed to help protect the town were spread far and wide once floodwaters hit.
The deadly storm, which hit the Atlantic City dead on and ripped up sections of its famous boardwalk, left more than 2 million people in the state without power and submerged portions of some shore towns, NBC10 in Philadelphia reported.
Related: Superstorm Sandy leaves surreal scenes in its wake
Atlantic City was cut off from the mainland by the storm surge along with other barrier islands, stranding residents who ignored warnings to evacuate. The city’s response sparked a feud between the mayor and governor.
A USA Today reporter who visited Fork River spoke to a Beach Haven resident, Erik Zak, who said much of the town was destroyed.
"There are boats on top of decks, garages floated into the bay," he said. "We saw houses on top of boats."
President Barack Obama has declared New Jersey a disaster area, clearing the way for federal disaster assistance to help start cleanup.
On Wednesday, Obama will join Christie in New Jersey for a tour of storm damage and a talk with residents who are recovering from the storm. He will also talk to first responders, according to a White House statement.
Obama called the storm “heartbreaking for the nation.”
Andrew Burton / Getty Images
Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast.
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- Your images of Sandy's fury
Leave a Comment:
It's Bush... er, Obama... uh ... no wait... it's Snooki's fault!
Sorry, couldn't resist. Thought I would be the first to bring BS political rhetoric into this subject. Help all those that will follow this post ease into the pure madness our species has become.
Thank God, Governors who represent the Party of Divine Rape reject any help from the "evil," Federal Government.
Go "re-build it yourself," Christie.
did Pussy's body wash ashore?
The question on America's mind is: Will this inconvenience in any way the filming schedule for Jersey Shore??
My only thought other then the welfare of the people that live there was that I hoped the only people that got swept away was the people responsible for the Jersey Shore show.
Ron, this is not an inconvenience, it is a disaster. Please go back to your high school buddies and try to get over on the lunch ladies. We have no time for your nonsense.
No, Ron, the real question is:
"Will Gov. Christie find another big sausage-and-pepper stand"?
What a catastrophe these folks have witnessed.Maybe people will suddenly realize that it is utter madness to build homes and businesses so close to the shore.One statement in this article stood out to me.A commentator said New Jersey looked like Normandy.What a ridiculous statement to make.The beach at Normandy was littered with American soldiers bodies.The wreckage in New Jersey does not and will never compare to the slaughter at Normandy.I am hoping that the good folks of New Jersey will recover rapidly from Hurricane Sandy and my sorrow for those who lost their lives.
I think they are saying that it looks like the town of Normandy Beach New Jersey, not Normandy the battle field. And I assume the writer of the article just got it wrong, because it looks like the town of Normandy Beach New Jersey to me.
Kevin,NJ Thank you for correcting me.I am in California and am not familiar with New Jersey.I had to read this article twice because I couldn't believe that somebody would compare it to the Normandy of World War II.Anyway,I hope that New Jersey recovers soon.I watch the food channels and New Jersey has some rocking good restaurants.
Just to let you know, many of those homes and storefronts were there for many years. Longer than most of us have lived. I do not recall in my 48 years ever seeing anything like this down the shore.
I'm from Normandy Beach, NEW JERSEY. It's 3 miles from Seaside Heights, and the comments on the fb photo were from friends of mine who thought it was our town. NBC needs to do some research before making horrifically idiotic comments like that. Especially considering they interviewed someone from the town for a broadcast during the storm. No one tried to compare it to the war.
I'm in no way qualified to suggest or offer an opinion about rebuilding the shoreline, but is it at all possible to build motorized/retractable jersey type walls along the boardwalk or houses? Yes, they would have to be dug into the ground 20-30 ft so they would not be visible when not in use. When needed, they can be motorized to be raised 20-30 ft as needed to stop the ocean/tide from coming in. Could also make them see-through to see how high the water level is when in use.
Your very first sentence was perfectly stated.
Nice valuable input Darryl. Loser.
Looks like Christie is gonna take the brunt of Sandy...he's gonna be the white Republican Ray Nagin. This is gonna be RICH....I can hear it now....Hoboken is the white chocolate city. LOL
oh...and speaking of white chocolate....where's all those doughnuts I saved from drowning...mawmawmawmaw
Scoff all you will, I have it on information and belief that Chris Christie, with no thought of personal danger, stuffed himself into the Holland tunnel, averting major flooding and possible loss of property.
The Governor of New Jersey is grossly obese. If he does not lose some weight he may not live out his term. He may already be into varying amts. of CHF and pul./pet. edema. He needs med. intervention forthwith.
When people of the east coast live in close proximity to oceans and flood planes then it is not if but when the next catastrophe occurs. So always be prepared for the worst scenario.
People could always move to the west coast but they have earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear missiles capable of hitting them by the North Korean Gov't. If people have survived with their lives count your blessings. We are here on this Earth for only a short time.
Or move to the southwestern deserts such as Utah and live in an old house trailer, raise your own vegetables, fruits, chickens, geese, rabbits, pigs, goats for milk and meat, that wonderful dark mountain honey, home school your children, far from any polluted major metro areas and live like a pauper the rest of your lives. Money it is just a curse anyway and buys material stuff, you can not take it with you. We are all going 6 ft. under pushing up Daisy's.................
Wow-where do I begin? We know the governor is overweight.....really? Why keep focusing on the obvious and irrelevant?
As far as those homes....they have been there longer than you have been alive. The boardwalk had some damage in the past and there was some flooding, but nothing close to this situation. Please keep your silliness to yourself, we have a disaster to manage.
Bencas, you have already been living in a disaster zone for decades. There must be more sewer rats living in your New Jersey and New York City areas than there are people. And it is a combat zone with murders nearly every day, and all the babies and toddlers who fall to their deaths out of high rise apartment complexes. And WPIX TV often shows the rats riding in the subway trains too. And all the bridge tolls and tolls roads should be free to the public and funded in some other way. There is enough taxes on gas alone. It just creates gigantic traffic jams like the George Washington bridge and continual stops to pay more tolls on roads with gigantic potholes that can crack even tractor trailer rigs axles.......
Rats riding the subway!? With their tiny briefcases and wingtips, joining the vulture-banksters down on Wall St.!? I'll bet they scurry under the turnstiles too, the little scofflaws.
WE need to start taking better care of Mother Earth or these kinds of events are going to continue to happen... For all who think global warming doesn't exist you must be sleeping through life!
I'm awake and making plans for big changes! This storm should wake up millions of people, but too many watch Fox news.
What is going on with the power plants? Is no news good news?
So sorreee Gov. Chris Christie is only operating on 2 hrs. of sleep from last night! Tell that to this nations truckers who often have to load all day, drive all night, pickup a load in Chicago and must have it to L. A. a couple days later for a scheduled delivery appointment. I only did it for 10 years in 48 states but there are truckers out there who have been at it 35----40 years...............
Gov. Christie (who should be commended for his efforts and bipartisanship) will not hurt anyone else by not getting enough sleep. Truckers who fail to get adequate sleep endanger the public.
Invisible: at least those truckers can fit into the cab unlike some your broad, burly, bulging, blimpy, roly-poly, jelly-belly buddy.
ckviking apparently did not follow the DOT regulations or he is so old he has no idea about the changes that occurred a few years back. If nothing else, he is irresponsible and childish.
That being said, the governor not only went without sleep, but has been ill. Even with that, he sounded 100 time more intelligent......
Bencas, you are on the same microcephalic mentality level as the President and fmr. Secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld who went on national network TV bamboozling millions of viewers everything possible had been done to prevent the 9/11 World Trade Center, New York City death of over 4500 people when it never ever would have happened if they had secure locking cockpit doors to the flight controls on the 767'S like they have had in place in Israel's aircraft for over 30 years.............
And go to SWEET MISERY A POISONED WORLD on You TUBE to see how Donald Rumsfeld got the artificial sweeteners onto the market by hook or by crook trickery onto the FDA during time frame he was Pres. and CEO of the drug company that manufactured them, that when ingested turns into wood alcohol which is a poison, rots holes in the brain, brain tumors, epidemic of multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, fibromyalgia, spasms, numbness, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, blurred vision, memory loss, depression, tinnitus, joint pain, blindness, keeps blood sugar out of control in diabetes causing coma......you can also purchase a DVD directly from the DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL.............
Perhaps a few more of these extreme weather events will convince the skeptics climate change is a fact and that we must take steps to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.
I feel bad for the people of NJ, seeing their property and lives affected by Hurricane Sandy. Looks like Chris Christy just destroyed Mitts plan to get rid of Federal Aid!
I bet Christie has not turned down one offer of help from the feds.......those nasty old buggers.
I bet he hasn't turned down any offers from White Castle either - those tasty old burgers.
Katryn,
quite the opposite, He is very grateful for the help that the President is personally helping get into NJ. I think you can mark this as the day that Christie endorsed Obama and vouched for his leadership while throwing Romney further under the bus (he already put Romney there during the Republican Convention).
Yes, all those teabaggers who sooooo hate gov't spending are going to be first in line for the handouts.
And let's not forget it's nearly the first of the month. Let's make sure the US Mail is up and running so that they can all get their SS and disability checks. . .
Would someone get Christie a cup of coffee and a donut or a dozen donuts?
Eric Cantor said the states should reimburse the government for all disaster aid........cause the military needs the money so bad........
So i see Snookie blew by the jersey shore....
Frankly the level of damage in New Jersey is completely insane. Christie must be thanking God that FEMA is around and that Romney is not President right now. If Romney was President NJ would be on it's own to figure out how to pay for rebuilding its coastal cities and beaches. Not to mention funding its own rescue and first responder operations.
We would have had a lot more dead people and much more damage had Romney been in charge and had disbanded FEMA. Remember this at the polls. If Romney is elected Ryan's budget gets serious consideration and from his resulting win Republicans likely gain momentum in 2014 in the senate which will likely stay Dem controlled in 2012. This means in 2014 Ryan's budget could be passed and in that budget FEMA is cut by 33%.
All experts agree that this 33% cut to FEMA will be risking the safety of American lives during natural disasters like Irene, like Sandy, like Katrina because the money will not be there to find large mobilization of first responders nor help with extensive clean up/rebuilding efforts.
There is a city in New Jersey that has to literally be rebuild because of how devastating the storm surges were. Without federal money that town would have to be abandoned as no one could float the capital required in NJ to rebuild the town with everything else going on in the state.
Remember that all elections have consequences and that if you live near coastal area's you may be putting not only your family in danger but also your communities in danger should either Ryan get his budget passed or Romney disband FEMA all together.
GEOWIL......WOW, WHEW, I hope Gov. Christie is not into that god religious stuff too! Hypocrisy is common in religious zealots, just GOOGLE it....... RELIGION IS A GIGANTIC FRAUD...... by James Hervey Johnson.
And even granted I enjoyed the film Bringham Young because Dean Jagger appeared in it, Romney and his wife are mormons are they not? His wife is another airhead bimbo who goes on national network TV for 25 minutes about her various health maladies of breast cancers, miscarriages and MS who does not even know what causes them.....diseases UNKNOWN in primitive and pre-industrial societies.......................
Christie had to praise Obama for his relief efforts. So he is probably feeling different about the role of the Federal Government.
I bet that he's regretting endorsing Romney, who by the way has not spoken to Christie since the disaster.
Larry,
Christie said he did not want Romney in his state tying up resources to score political points when asked directly about him visiting to see the damages.
Obviously Christie is grateful that Obama and his people were on their game. NJ, despite its wealth, cannot rebuild without federal help. That said, Christie appears to be a smart enough politician to know that Romney's campaign is all but dead in the water (no pun intended) and he is positioning himself for 2016.
Does anyone know how Cape May made out?
Does this mean the last of Snooki?????
Christie must be thanking God that FEMA is around and that Romney is not President right now.
During the GOP primaries, when FEMA was facing a funding crunch, Mr. Romney suggested at a June 2011 debate that he'd like states to have more control over disaster relief funding and efforts.
“Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction,” Mr. Romney said in response to a question about FEMA. “And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that's even better.”…
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Christie isn't backing up his words about the Mayor Lorenzo Langford of Atlantic City any more or is he just afraid of getting his @ss kicked? Romney and Christie seem to think lying is the only way to get ahead in life. Romney thinks it will get him elected and Christie seems to think if Romney doesn't get the Presidency this time he will get it in 4 years. If we don't get the change we were not able to get this last 4 years because of knuckle dragging we sure as hell don't want to reward the Republican Party in 4 more years for doing the same thing. I pledge to the American people not to vote Republican for 8 years because of the reckless just say no attitude toward our growth for the last 4 years. Causing America to take so long to recover even as slow as it is does not impress me at all. I'd like to see the Republican Party become the party of the past. It's time we start working together even if it means we all pay more taxes!
Almost forgot why I started this blog, Mayor Lorenzo Langford is a Democrat and he doesn't deserve to be treated the way Christie (republican) is treating him. Another great way to divide this country! I suppose this type of behavior from Christie will get him elected in 4 years?
Romney isn't any better, the head of Chrysler Glenn Kessler also is very possibly a Democrat. You don't think Romney would attack a Republican do you?
And this just in: Jersey shore inundated...Snooki gets a douche...
I am sorry but I have read enough of this.Has everyone forgot what has happened.I my self lost my home.I grew up at the shore and I always go home to visit.And I was planning on taking my kids up to Jersey so they could see where,I grow up.I am proud to be from Jersey.The shore will never be the same for any of us who grow up on the boardwalk.So please out of respected for the ones that lost there lives and to there family.Please stop with the bashing of the Govenor and who fat and and who's got the donuts and Snookie take them convisations else where.Lets have respect for The Poeple of Jersey and what they are dealing with no gas No electric,Lot of them our homeless know.So just pray that Jersey and sounding towns get though this horror.thanks and God Bless You all JerseyBlood4Life.
Thank you NBC News for posting the pics and video from the National Guard. The last few seconds of video are of Tuckerton, and this is how a dear friend found out his house is still standing, while two of his neighbors homes were ripped out to sea. He was evacuated and hasn't been allowed back due to gas leaks, but at least he's prepared for the devastation when he returns.