Video of Long Beach Island after Hurricane Sandy, with comments from Mayor Joe Mancini, Thursday Nov. 1, 2012. Press of Atlantic City video by Danny Drake. Produced by Vernon Ogrodnek
It breaks my heart to see this. I've been going to LBI since 1992 and I know every part of the island. In the weeks after Sandy hit, the island was unrecognizable!
It’s now 2021, and I remember this, I mainly remember feeling the anxiety of the unknown of how bad the impact of the hurricane would leave everything. However, the most constant feeling I had felt during this was the fear that my family and I would never hear or see my aunts ever again. They had stayed at their home in Manahawkin throughout the entire hurricane. Everyone in my family were more worried about them, and other people who may have stayed behind to protect their homes or something. Luckily, my aunts survived, and are still very much alive and well. This was such a terrible tragedy. It’s great seeing LBI now, where everyone is living their lives and having fun, creating more, new memories here.
MARCH 2019, 57 years since the GREAT MARCH STORM, and 6.5 years since Hurricane Sandy hit Long Beach Island. Essentially, the Island completely recovered, but some home owners sold their properties rather than rebuild. In 2013, the first half of the year starting from November 2012, all of the debris from the affected 1st floors of the houses- all of the drywall, furniture, plumbing fixtures piled on streets was collected by 50+ tree removal trucks and was piled at 2 staging areas. In Beach Haven, the entire site that is used for the CHOWDERFEST was the first staging area. From the side street right behind Bay village, all the way to parallel tothe bay at the boat ramp, a mountain field 10 feet high, 2 huge blocks square of soaken debris. The other staging area was at the ACME Market parking lot. There were 1,000 gas leaks in Holgate, alone. In December 2012, The NJ NGS ( Natural GAS service ) in a sweep moved North to south on the entire island, removing and replacing gas meters. During the storm, the gas lines were flushed with water to flush out any residual natural gas which had earlier created house fires which firetrucks could not reach due to high water. In Holgate, where the most extensive damage occured, the first allowed home owner access was allowed November 9, 2012, followed by another, 2 weeks later. There were 2 check points- the first at the Marsha Rd / rte 72 intersection across from Bch Haven West. The next was at the entrance to Holgate, south end of the island. A colored plaquered strip issued by Long Bch Twp, was the pass required.
CHARLES NOLAN It was heartbreaking seeing that lot full of tarmac and garbage. The amount of debris lining the streets was also insane. I was in Beach Haven so we didn’t see as much destruction but seeing that among my neighbors was terrible. The first info we got about our house was from helicopter footage that happened to graze our area. I pray it’s a long long time before we see something like this again.
After much of the island was underwater for an extended period during and after Sandy, there were so many homes that had stood for 20-30-40 years that were either tear downs or the owners just didn't want to deal with (or couldn't afford) the extensive repairs it would have taken, so they sold their properties and new homes were built in their place. A lot of long-time businesses never reopened, either, and of course the LBI Shack which served as a welcome icon as one came onto the island was obliterated. In a lot of ways, Sandy accelerated a lot of long-term changes that were already underway, but would normally have taken decades to happen, into a couple of years.
since 1970 the government has showed that these same communities have been rebuilt by tax payer money several times to the tune of $one Trillion dollars.
Why not? Just telling the truth; since 1970 the government has showed that these same communities have been rebuilt by tax payer money several times to the tune of $one Trillion dollars.
