One Year Later: Tuckerton Residents Struggling To Recover After Sandy
By Todd Quinones
TUCKERTON, N.J., (CBS) -- One year later, recovery is still a struggle in hard hit communities like Little Egg Harbor Township in Ocean County.
Badly damaged homes, some now abandoned, litter the town of Tuckerton which was hit hard by Sandy.
"There's probably ten homes on every road that are in this kind of condition or that have been walked away from," John Schwartz said.
Resident and Borough Councilman John Schwartz is nearly at a loss for words. People here contend the post-Superstorm Sandy relief aid has slowed to a trickle, leaving residents with badly damaged homes still out of their homes, living in hotels or with family.
"Absolute failure of government," Schwartz said.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie held a string of public events on Tuesday up and down the shore, including this one in nearby Little Egg Harbor Township. He says he's frustrated by Washington politics and the National Flood Insurance Program.
"Until everybody is back to normal, I will not rest and you cannot rest because we owe those people that," Christie said.
But some outside the Christie event are just tired of all the talk.
"I have neighbors that got four feet of water. Everybody I talked to are like 'we haven't gotten the grant money.' Where is it? Why is it tied up?" Paula Sullivan said.
Tuckerton Borough Administrator Jenny Gleghorn along with Emergency Management Coordinator Harold Spedding are fed up.
"We had 158 homes estimated for demolition. And right now, I'd say we have maybe 20, 25 being raised or rebuilt," Spedding said.
Tonight, Governor Christie said he's going to make it his mission to make sure people's lives get back to normal, but many here fear that may take several more years.
