Enlarge Matt Dowling/Times of Trenton A toppled tree damaged units at the Klockner Woods apartment complex in Hamilton, Mercer County Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: Mercer County damage gallery (27 photos)
EWING TWP. — The deaths of a Mendham Township mother and father and an Atlantic City woman are being blamed on Hurricane Sandy, which has left 2.4 million households without power.
“I’ll say to all of you, especially those out there who are facing loss, devastation and the heartbreaking reality that their home may be gone, we are with you,” Gov. Chris Christie said in a public briefing from state police Regional Operations Intelligence Center.
“We have a long road ahead of us but I have complete confidence we’re going to come out of this better and stronger than before. This state is too tough to give in to this type of devastation. We in the government will work with you to have New Jersey completely recovered.”
As he has throughout the storm, the governor talked to President Obama again last night at midnight. He expedited the state’s designation as a major disaster area.
Christie said it’s too early to put a dollar figure on the unprecedented and grave damage to New Jersey, but he may know more after a helicopter tour of the shoreline today. There is no place for the chopper to land on the barrier islands, but plans to touch down in Avalon and Brick.
Though more may be added, Christie said the eight counties that will receive assistance are Atlantic, Cape May, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Union.
“I think the losses are going to be almost incalculable,” he said on the “Today Show” this morning.
The couple from Mendham Township was killed overnight when they got out of their pickup truck and were crushed by a fallen tree, Christie said. Their 11 and 14-year-old children in their vehicle were injured, he said.
A third fatality occurred Monday when a woman from Atlantic City had a heart attack, Christie said.
Federal, state and local emergency personnel are conducting search and rescue missions in Atlantic City and Moonachie where a tidal surge at Hackensack River overwhelmed a natural berm and caused a flash flood.
Of the residents out of power, 1.2 million are PSE&G customers, 935,000 JCP&L, 195,000 Atlantic City Electric and 45,000 Orange & Rockland. There have been no reports of looting or crime in areas without power.
Christie said he “can’t and won’t” know when power will be restored, but twice the number of households lost power as they did after Hurricane Irene. After the August 2011 storm, electricity remained off for up to 10 days. “We cannot develop at timeframe for restoration until damage assessment is under way,” he said.
Trees are down everywhere. Christie likened the drive from the state police operations center in Ewing Township to the governors mansion at Drumthwacket to “an obstacle course.”
State and local shelters are housing 5,500 residents and the state is working on opening another shelter at Rutgers Athletic Center. In addition to FEMA and the National Guard, the Red Cross is offering support services, including mobile meals.
Christie said 91 health care facilities lost street power, including 29 hospitals. The state Health Department requested 100 ambulances from FEMA.
Most roads are reopened, including the entire length of the Garden State Parkway. But Christie cautioned people to “avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.” He advised private businesses to let employees stay home unless owners can identify a safe route to get them to work.
In Carteret, a tidal surge picked up 24 small rail cars and deposited them on to the northern outer roadway of the New Jersey Turnpike. Cranes were dispatched to remove the cars.
Lavallette, Ortley Beach, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park are nearly completely underwater, Christie said. Water carried houses out into the middle of Route 35.
“Am I going to see something worse further south? I don’t know,” he said. “That’s the place I’ve gone to the shore my entire life… I didn’t expect to see homes off their foundations”
Rides from the amusement piers in Seaside Parks were washed out to the ocean as well, he said.
“The level of devastation at the Jersey Shore is unthinkable and we know that there are many people who own homes who we’ve evacuated will want to get back on the island to assess the damage to their homes,” he said. “We are no where near being able to let you back on the island.”
Jenna Portnoy/Statehouse Bureau By Jenna Portnoy/Statehouse Bureau
on October 30, 2012 at 12:12 PM
