Long Beach Island Residents Return To Homes To Survey Damage
LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Residents of Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore Saturday got to return to their homes to survey the damage for the first time since Superstorm Sandy.
As KYW Newsradio Philadelphia's Mike Dougherty reported for 1010 WINS, the residents returned amid boats thrown along the side of the road and other severe damage.
KYW Newsradio's Mike Dougherty reports for 1010 WINS
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Jen Herrera of Bergen County came to help clean up her grandmother's house. She was shocked at the scene Saturday morning.
"A very surreal moment – it's hard to prepare for the devastation that occurred on the island," Herrera said. "But for our house, there was about two feet of water in the garage, and everything that we were storing in there, and appliances and everything were destroyed."
Most towns were allowed back, except one at the very south tip that remained in cleanup mode.
On Friday, residents of Seaside Heights were likewise allowed to return to their homes to view the damage. There, iconic boardwalk was demolished, and part of a roller coaster was spared, but the rest was in the ocean, CBS 2's Christine Sloan reorted.
"My stuff is gone," Colleen Kamil said. "Everything is knocked over ... furniture moved ... My kids' toys are all gone. No toys left ... Nothing ... It's all gone."
There was nothing in Kamil's water-logged home to put in suitcases, just some change in a jar and pictures of their sons.
CBS 2's Sloan was told the damage she saw was nothing compared to the devastation on the north end of town. Residents won't be allowed back there until Tuesday.
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