Sandy aftermath

[Ben Ruset]

Thanks to Gabe I managed to get the rest of my furniture and stuff out of the house and to the curb today.

I took some photos around my neighborhood this morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benruset/sets/72157631929259721/

 

[Teegate]

Is your place in any of the photo's?

Not a very nice sight. It is amazing how some places really got hit hard while others didn't.

Guy

 

[Gibby]

The flood damage is horrible. At least your neighborhood isn't layered with several feet of sand, that has to be the one positive for your area.

Has any rebuilding started at all in the areas that have been cleaned up?

 

[dragoncjo]

Pretty crazy stuff right there. Hope things turn up for you soon Ben.

I agree with the person who said if you loot I'll shoot. Pretty sure if I lived down the shore and someone attempted to rob my house I would shoot them or beat the piss out of them, would be like a scene out of Death Wish. That sort of dirtbag behavior should allow eye for an eye justice.

 

[piker56]

I walked along the Mullica from Atsion Saturday. The river seemed high and fast. Some trees down in the forest, but not too bad. On the other hand, some of our job sites in North Jersey had 4-6 feet of water at high tide.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Is your place in any of the photo's?

Not a very nice sight. It is amazing how some places really got hit hard while others didn't.

Guy

No, although there are pics of two houses that I wanted to buy a few years ago. I have a pic of the house with all of my stuff at the curb waiting to be hauled away. The house itself, from the outside, looks alright with the exception of some missing siding and a destroyed gutter. All of the damage is on the inside.

 

[Ben Ruset]

The flood damage is horrible. At least your neighborhood isn't layered with several feet of sand, that has to be the one positive for your area.

Has any rebuilding started at all in the areas that have been cleaned up?

Yeah, thankfully the bay side of things were protected by the barrier islands which (so far as nature is supposed to work) did their job and buffered the mainland. I just have mud all over the floors.

FEMA just started to haul out garbage today. It's going to be several weeks before contractors will be able to come in and start working, and that's provided that the insurers pay out like they're supposed to.

 

[Boyd]

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/website_launched_to_accept_don.html

TRENTON — A website has been launched for the newly established Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, Gov. Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie announced today.
Following Saturday’s establishment of the fund, New Jerseyans may visit www.SandyNJReliefFund.org to make donations online.

The fund will provide a “critical mechanism” to collect donations and assistance and help families affected by the destruction of the storm and will continue well beyond “the initial stages” of recovery, according to spokesmen for Christie.

 

[dragoncjo]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the shore regarding real estate prices. While a storm like this seems like a once in a lifetime event I'm not sure it really is. We had Irene and now sandy in a little over a year. I'm only 31 but I don't recall any storms like this ever in my life. Perhaps this has something to do with climate change, who knows. I know if I had a shore house or was considering buying one I'd hold off i think. At the end of the day these islands are created by mother nature and can be taken away at the same time, seems like they are simply on loan with us for a while. With that said I'm sure if values fall too low other folks would come in bottom feeding for value. I'll be honest I never really thought this could happen to the Jersey Shore, you see it other places but I'm still in a bit of disbelief of how bad it was.

 

[rjb]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the shore regarding real estate prices. While a storm like this seems like a once in a lifetime event I'm not sure it really is. We had Irene and now sandy in a little over a year. I'm only 31 but I don't recall any storms like this ever in my life. Perhaps this has something to do with climate change, who knows. I know if I had a shore house or was considering buying one I'd hold off i think. At the end of the day these islands are created by mother nature and can be taken away at the same time, seems like they are simply on loan with us for a while. With that said I'm sure if values fall too low other folks would come in bottom feeding for value. I'll be honest I never really thought this could happen to the Jersey Shore, you see it other places but I'm still in a bit of disbelief of how bad it was.

The last one-two punch in my lifetime was hurricane Donna in 1960 and the Ash Wednesday northeaster in 1962. I believe the northeaster did more damage in NJ than Donna and killed about 7 people on LBI. It stalled off the coast for several days. Donna, in my recollection, did some damage on the coast but its hallmark seemed to have been knocking down trees and power failures. Donna hit NJ as a tropical storm but it started out as what is now called a Cat 5 storm.

 

[dogg57]

We also had Gloria in 1985 .Here is is a list for the younger people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Jersey_hurricanes

 

[46er]

This storm was a TS when it made landfall, with hurricane force gusts. There has been some criticism of NOAA for not issuing a hurricane warning, although for those with damage it is a bit of a blessing. Imagine what it may have been like had it been hurricane force? A Katrina like Cat 5 would probably see devastion from the Atlantic to the Delaware.

Folks are slowly being allowed back on the barrier beaches in a systamatic fashion to retrieve personal belongings. They are only allowed to visit their property. I would imagine the demolition will start soon after that is completed.

 

[dragoncjo]

Floyd sticks out in my mind because I was a freshman at Rutgers and remember getting off for like a week. I remember we weren't allowed to drink the water or shower. Looking back through that wiki though nothing seems comparable to this, just a freak storm I hope.

 

[dogg57]

This storm was a TS when it made landfall, with hurricane force gusts. There has been some criticism of NOAA for not issuing a hurricane warning, although for those with damage it is a bit of a blessing. Imagine what it may have been like had it been hurricane force? A Katrina like Cat 5 would probably see devastion from the Atlantic to the Delaware.

Folks are slowly being allowed back on the barrier beaches in a systamatic fashion to retrieve personal belongings. They are only allowed to visit their property. I would imagine the demolition will start soon after that is completed.

Today was a zoo on LBI was in line for about a hour with a friend did not have to show ID. Holgate and North beach were still closed off. That area is gone. Looks like Friday they will open that area for the day only.

 

[manumuskin]

don't forget Agnes in 72.I still remember holding onto that peach tree while my feet left the ground and I blew around like a flag till Mom ran out and drug my little escapee butt back in the house.
Oh yeah and belle also in the 70's.My Mom was getting her ears pierced in Cumberland Mall when the lights went out.She thought the pain caused her to black out as the punch went through.her name is Belle

 

[Gibby]

Let us not forget Hurricane Diane and Connie from August of 1955. The duo changed much of New Jersey, many years before my time. The Delaware river had record flooding. Most of the bridges, villages and railroads, that where along the river in the northern half of the state, were destroyed.

 

[46er]

I get the very real sense things are beginning to unravel here. There was a meeting held at the local Holiday Inn, don;t know who arranged it, but apparently no officials showed up. An article in the TR Patch reports on it, but it is the comments that are most telling. Hopefully cool heads will prevail and the homeowners get some legal representation quickly. Folks need to remember there is a state issued state of emergency which is akin to marshal law. Bad things can happen.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I am happy to have spent the night out of New Jersey last night. Went up to NYC to visit my friend and his new bride. Took three hours to get into the city because the Lincoln Tunnel was all jammed up. A bus hit my truck (only pushed the side mirror in) and some jerk in a pickup almost took out my drivers side fender. But I managed to get a lot of BBQ and bourbon so that sort of made it better. It was a nice upgrade to sleep on a futon instead of an air mattress, too.

I'm going to Cali for a few days. I have to get away before I lose it. Once I move the dishes and my pots and pans out of the house I'm done there. Still no idea where I am going to go for any sort of temporary/permanent shelter. Hopefully when I get back there will be some more answers.

 

[46er]

I'm going to Cali for a few days. I have to get away before I lose it. Once I move the dishes and my pots and pans out of the house I'm done there. Still no idea where I am going to go for any sort of temporary/permanent shelter. Hopefully when I get back there will be some more answers.

Safe travels Ben. My son is thinking of a permanent move out of state. A real estate friend of his thinks rentals will be fewer and more expensive for some time to come due to all of the property loss from the storm.

 

[Boyd]

Have a good trip Ben, we will all be thinking of you. Here's hoping for better days ahead.