National Guard evacuates stranded N.J. residents
HOBOKEN, N.J. New Jersey National Guard trucks are evacuating the city of Hoboken and delivering ready-to-eat meals to thousands who have been stranded in their homes by floodwaters from Superstorm Sandy.
About half the city remains flooded two days after the storm made landfall. Live wires dangled in floodwaters that Mayor Dawn Zimmer said were rapidly mixing with sewage.
With streets resembling lakes, thousands are still holed up in their brownstones, condos, and other housing in the mile-square city across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
On Sunday Zimmer ordered an evacuation of basement and street-level units. Payloaders have been used to get people out for medical emergencies, but the mayor's spokesman, Juan Melli, says the streets are so narrow they can get stuck, CBS Station WCBS reports.
The city is asking people with generators and boats to bring them to city hall, which is on dry ground and powered by a backup generator.
"We will make it through this together," said Zimmer. "All our emergency personnel and volunteers have been working so hard under the most extreme circumstances to keep our community safe."