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| New Jersey confronts Sandy aftermath: 'The water just washed right through' | New Jersey confronts Sandy aftermath: 'The water just washed right through' |
| (5 months later) | |
| Driving into Asbury Park on the famed Jersey Shore, the true scale of the damage from Sandy is not immediately apparent. The power is out, and a few trees are down, but people are still in their homes. | Driving into Asbury Park on the famed Jersey Shore, the true scale of the damage from Sandy is not immediately apparent. The power is out, and a few trees are down, but people are still in their homes. |
| Then you reach Loch Arbour, a tiny community nearby, and are greeted by a row of six houses that once proudly faced out to the Atlantic. Now they are wrecks. | Then you reach Loch Arbour, a tiny community nearby, and are greeted by a row of six houses that once proudly faced out to the Atlantic. Now they are wrecks. |
| One of the homes, a two-storey wood-panelled affair painted pink, is missing almost its entire ground floor. One side of the front wall has been swept away. Inside the furniture is gone, replaced by three feet of sand. The back wall disappeared too when the storm surge swept clean through the house and across two gardens behind. The home only has one full supporting wall left and has been cordoned off by police. | One of the homes, a two-storey wood-panelled affair painted pink, is missing almost its entire ground floor. One side of the front wall has been swept away. Inside the furniture is gone, replaced by three feet of sand. The back wall disappeared too when the storm surge swept clean through the house and across two gardens behind. The home only has one full supporting wall left and has been cordoned off by police. |
| Bill Gleeson, a funeral home director, owns the home next door. He's lived there with his family since 1986. His home has been more fortunate, most of the walls are intact, although inside there are water marks up to 5ft high in places. The floor is covered in a thick layer of sand. | Bill Gleeson, a funeral home director, owns the home next door. He's lived there with his family since 1986. His home has been more fortunate, most of the walls are intact, although inside there are water marks up to 5ft high in places. The floor is covered in a thick layer of sand. |
| "The water just washed right through," Gleeson said. | "The water just washed right through," Gleeson said. |
| Bill Gleeson's house in Loch Arbour suffered severe damage. 3ft of sand left inside. #sandy cc @matthewwells twitter.com/AdamGabbatt/st… | Bill Gleeson's house in Loch Arbour suffered severe damage. 3ft of sand left inside. #sandy cc @matthewwells twitter.com/AdamGabbatt/st… |
| A police officer said no one had been injured, but no one will be returning any time soon. | A police officer said no one had been injured, but no one will be returning any time soon. |
| This little row of houses seems to have borne the brunt of the storm on this stretch of coast, with damage more limited in either direction. The main problem for the fire department on Tuesday afternoon was towing cars off the beach, as gawkers headed down to the coast to survey the damage. | This little row of houses seems to have borne the brunt of the storm on this stretch of coast, with damage more limited in either direction. The main problem for the fire department on Tuesday afternoon was towing cars off the beach, as gawkers headed down to the coast to survey the damage. |
| "Extremely windy but we were pretty blessed not to get the rain because that would have made it a lot worse," said Virginia Ferraro, whose husband was engaged in digging out a fire rescue van that had got stuck trying to help out the driver of a white sedan. | "Extremely windy but we were pretty blessed not to get the rain because that would have made it a lot worse," said Virginia Ferraro, whose husband was engaged in digging out a fire rescue van that had got stuck trying to help out the driver of a white sedan. |
| "It was crazy windy," said Ferraro, whose home escaped damage. "But they warned us. They did a good job of warning us." | "It was crazy windy," said Ferraro, whose home escaped damage. "But they warned us. They did a good job of warning us." |
| Loch Arbour, NJ. Bottom floor of this house completely swept away #sandy twitter.com/AdamGabbatt/st… | Loch Arbour, NJ. Bottom floor of this house completely swept away #sandy twitter.com/AdamGabbatt/st… |
| Loch Arbour is just one tiny example of the "unthinkable" devastation New Jersey suffered when the superstorm smashed into the state's famous shoreline and swept inland, killing at least three, leaving 2.5 million people without power and effectively bringing the region to a standstill. | Loch Arbour is just one tiny example of the "unthinkable" devastation New Jersey suffered when the superstorm smashed into the state's famous shoreline and swept inland, killing at least three, leaving 2.5 million people without power and effectively bringing the region to a standstill. |
| President Barack Obama will tour the state with New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who was full of praise for Obama and the "outstanding" job he and federal agencies have done. | President Barack Obama will tour the state with New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who was full of praise for Obama and the "outstanding" job he and federal agencies have done. |
| "He knows that New Jersey has taken the biggest hit of any of the states and he's determined to work with us to make sure we rebuild the things we need to rebuild and I'm grateful for his partnership," Christie said as he toured the devastated seaside town of Belmar. | "He knows that New Jersey has taken the biggest hit of any of the states and he's determined to work with us to make sure we rebuild the things we need to rebuild and I'm grateful for his partnership," Christie said as he toured the devastated seaside town of Belmar. |
| The storm made landfall close to Atlantic City, causing extensive flooding at the state's gambling mecca, and leaving 13,600 residents without power. Newark, the state's largest city and home to one of the country's biggest airports, is largely without power. Much of the state's famous 127-mile shoreline is underwater. | The storm made landfall close to Atlantic City, causing extensive flooding at the state's gambling mecca, and leaving 13,600 residents without power. Newark, the state's largest city and home to one of the country's biggest airports, is largely without power. Much of the state's famous 127-mile shoreline is underwater. |
| In Seaside Heights hundreds of homes have been covered in sand and amusement rides have been washed away. People had to be rescued from rooftops in Sayreville. Residents living on New Jersey's barrier islands have been cut off from the mainland, and levees have broken in northern New Jersey leaving at least four towns with up to 6ft of water. | In Seaside Heights hundreds of homes have been covered in sand and amusement rides have been washed away. People had to be rescued from rooftops in Sayreville. Residents living on New Jersey's barrier islands have been cut off from the mainland, and levees have broken in northern New Jersey leaving at least four towns with up to 6ft of water. |
| Some 5,500 people are currently housed in five shelters across the state and a sixth is being opened. Christie said every line in the state's rail system had been damaged, including major hubs Hoboken and Secaucus. Kearny rail yard was surrounded by floodwaters. | Some 5,500 people are currently housed in five shelters across the state and a sixth is being opened. Christie said every line in the state's rail system had been damaged, including major hubs Hoboken and Secaucus. Kearny rail yard was surrounded by floodwaters. |
| "This is beyond anything I ever thought I would see," Christie said at a news conference as the eastern seaboard of the US woke to widespread destruction from hurricane Sandy. | "This is beyond anything I ever thought I would see," Christie said at a news conference as the eastern seaboard of the US woke to widespread destruction from hurricane Sandy. |
| The state's roads are similarly devastated. Christie said there are 173 incidents statewide involving highway closures, including 7ft-high "debris fields". He asked people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary and said employees should ask staff to stay home. | The state's roads are similarly devastated. Christie said there are 173 incidents statewide involving highway closures, including 7ft-high "debris fields". He asked people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary and said employees should ask staff to stay home. |
| "We have a lot of work to do. I have absolute confidence that we will be able to do and do it together. I have confidence in the fact that we will have complete support from the president of the United States and the federal authorities," said Christie. | "We have a lot of work to do. I have absolute confidence that we will be able to do and do it together. I have confidence in the fact that we will have complete support from the president of the United States and the federal authorities," said Christie. |
| The governor, recently seen as a potential vice-presidential pick for Republican hopeful Mitt Romney and a likely presidential contender in 2016, was full of praise for Barack Obama. He said the president had been "outstanding" and praised Obama's swiftness in designating New Jersey a disaster zone, opening up federal funds for relief work. | The governor, recently seen as a potential vice-presidential pick for Republican hopeful Mitt Romney and a likely presidential contender in 2016, was full of praise for Barack Obama. He said the president had been "outstanding" and praised Obama's swiftness in designating New Jersey a disaster zone, opening up federal funds for relief work. |
| "I have to say, the administration the president, himself and Fema [federal emergency management agency] administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far," Christie told ABC's Good Morning America. "We have a great partnership with them." | "I have to say, the administration the president, himself and Fema [federal emergency management agency] administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far," Christie told ABC's Good Morning America. "We have a great partnership with them." |
| Christie said Obama had called Monday night and offered to help in any way he could. | Christie said Obama had called Monday night and offered to help in any way he could. |
| "I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this," said Christie. | "I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this," said Christie. |
| On Fox News Christie was asked whether he would be touring the disaster-stricken state with Romney. "I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested," Christie said. "I've got a job to do here in New Jersey that's much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff. | On Fox News Christie was asked whether he would be touring the disaster-stricken state with Romney. "I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested," Christie said. "I've got a job to do here in New Jersey that's much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff. |
| "I've got 2.4 million people out of power; I've got devastation on the shore; I've got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics then you don't know me." | "I've got 2.4 million people out of power; I've got devastation on the shore; I've got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics then you don't know me." |
| Christie said Sandy had affected twice the number of people who were hit by last year's tropical storm Irene. He said it had taken eight days for the state to get back on track after Irene. "This may take longer," he said. Christie said weather conditions were still so bad that the full extent of the damage would not be known for the next 24 to 48 hours. | Christie said Sandy had affected twice the number of people who were hit by last year's tropical storm Irene. He said it had taken eight days for the state to get back on track after Irene. "This may take longer," he said. Christie said weather conditions were still so bad that the full extent of the damage would not be known for the next 24 to 48 hours. |
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