MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) New Jersey's delicate barrier islands, long and slender strips of land cherished by generations of sunbathing vacationers and full-time residents alike, are a hazardous wasteland of badly eroded shore, ruined beachfront homes, flooded streets and damaged utilities. <\/p>\n
The full extent of the devastation on the island that hosts MTV's \"Jersey Shore\" came into sharper focus Wednesday, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Signs of the good life that had defined wealthy enclaves like Bayhead and Mantoloking lie scattered and broken: $3,000 barbecue grills buried beneath the sand and hot tubs cracked and filled with seawater. <\/p>\n
Nearly all the homes were seriously damaged, and many were destroyed no trace of them left. <\/p>\n
\"This,\" said Harry Typaldos, who owns the Grenville Inn in Mantoloking, \"I just can't comprehend.\" <\/p>\n
New Jersey got the brunt of superstorm Sandy, which made landfall in the state and killed 14 people in it. More than 2 million customers were without power as of Wednesday afternoon, down from a peak of 2.7 million. <\/p>\n
Some parts of the shore might never look the same, Gov. Chris Christie said. <\/p>\n
The governor joined President Barack Obama aboard Marine One on Wednesday afternoon for an aerial tour of the storm damage along the shore, the economic engine that powers New Jersey's $35.5 billion tourism industry. <\/p>\n
Nearly 48 hours after Sandy made landfall, the most densely populated state in the nation was still very much in a state of emergency. <\/p>\n
Most mass transit systems were shut down, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters braving clogged highways and quarter-mile lines at gas stations. Closed, too, were Atlantic City's casinos. And Christie postponed Halloween until Monday, saying trick-or-treating wasn't safe in towns with flooded and darkened streets, fallen trees and downed power lines. <\/p>\n
Nearly 20,000 residents were stranded in Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, amid accusations that officials have been slow to deliver food and water. One man blew up an air mattress and floated to City Hall, demanding to know why supplies hadn't gotten out. Public Safety Director Jon Tooke defended the city's response, saying at least 25 percent of Hoboken remained under water and emergency personnel and the National Guard are working round-the-clock. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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