Senators, Congressman Assess Winter Storm Damage At Jersey Shore
WILDWOOD, NJ (CBS) -- While social media is blowing up over Governor Christie's comments, lawmakers head south to lend a hand.
Senators Booker, Menendez and Congressman Frank LoBiondo will likely see that people need more than just a mop, as many homes filled with water.
It's becoming a typical scene at the Jersey shore: a lifetime of positions sitting at the curb, destroyed and soaked with mud.
Carrying dripping wet rugs to the curb, the Keoughan family in Wildwood say it feels like they lost everything.
Storm surges this weekend sent 3 feet of water into their bottom floor, ruining property from Christmas presents to furniture.
"Not everybody has bank accounts and can do this. We need a little bit of help," Victoria Keoughan told Eyewitness News.
Possible help wasn't far away. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, as well as Congressman Frank LoBiondo, toured the shore with local mayors.
In West Wildwood, they looked at the breached bulkhead that allowed the bay to spill into town, and in Sea Isle, the scarred dunes.
"We'll see what the ultimate damage assessments are, and to the extent that it rises to a level that the Governor makes a decision to ask for a federal emergency declaration, we're going to support it wholeheartedly and try to make sure it happens," Senator Menendez explained.
Storm affected counties will report damages to the state, which must apply for federal aid.
While the total damage pales in comparison to Superstorm Sandy, there are pockets of significant destruction.
Home and business owners are hoping for help.
"Sandy was just clean water coming in. Here we had mud flow and icebergs cause the bay's been frozen for two weeks, and when that high tide started raising, the ice broke up, and chunks, some of the chunks as big as cars," Mike Monichetti, owner of Mike's Seafood and Dock Restaurant, told Eyewitness News.
Some of the most expensive items to replace are appliances, flooring, furniture. They're still tallying up the damages at the shore, but yesterday Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said that once it hits that $12 million threshold, that they will do their best to try to get federal aid.
