Heartbreaking pics: Devastation in Asbury Park, NJ, boardwalks wiped away in Atlantic City, Belmar

Twitchy ^ | 10/30/12

[markomalley]

As Twitchy reported, the Jersey Shore started getting battered by Hurricane Sandy well before the destructive storm hit land. The aftermath of the storm has resulted in utter devastation and heartbreak.

Rasmussen reports that they will have limited data available. They are based in Asbury Park, N.J.

Rasmussen Reports is Based in Asbury Park, NJ… Hit hard by Sandy…limited data release today—
Scott Rasmussen (@RasmussenPoll) October 30, 2012

And hit hard it was.

RT @JersyShoreAgent: Such a shame. All that work that Asbury Park has been doing. #SandyNJ #Sandy http://t.co/OVIMGxJJ—
Hurricane Central (@twc_hurricane) October 30, 2012

@fly1887 this is Asbury Park http://t.co/ryr257es—
Tim McMahon (@tmcmahon1) October 30, 2012

Ugh, you guys. Between this and the photos of Belmar, my heart is broken. @KaylaMendez13 Convention hall in asbury park http://t.co/u548IrGA—
Anjelica Triola (@anjelica) October 30, 2012

The Stone Pony, which Bruce Springsteen made famous, survived and is still standing.

The Stone Pony still standing #springsteen #sandy http://t.co/CWiC26XH—
Sirjames (@sirjames69) October 30, 2012

Atlantic City, N.J., and its world-famous boardwalk, is a disaster zone.

RT @time: Atlantic City, N.J. is a ghost town the day after Hurricane #Sandy hit | instagram.com/p/Ra17WxK613/ (by @edkashi)—
Mavoy Music Anthem (@MavoyOfficial) October 31, 2012

Atlantic City, The Walk #sosad #devastating 😢 http://t.co/lQfMByx1—
katrindraka (@KatrinDraka) October 30, 2012

atlantic city before and after http://t.co/yu5OhQEK—
mehek khan ? (@_whatthemehek) October 30, 2012

Apocalyptic scenes from Atlantic City by @edkashi for the @TIME @instagram account #HurricaneSandy instagram.com/p/RavzolK6_y/—
Patrick Witty (@patrickwitty) October 30, 2012

Superstorm #Sandy ripped apart several blocks of the boardwalk in Atlantic City. yfrog.com/0wk1rij Photos: bit.ly/Rr9P6G—
ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) October 30, 2012

Atlantic City )= http://t.co/eE4Cbuuj—
A (@Andeersonjunior) October 31, 2012

Like in Seaside Heights, N.J., the force of Hurricane Sandy has totally wiped blocks of the boardwalk away.

Foundations& pilings are all that remain of brick buildings & a boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J Oct. 30#hurricanesandy http://t.co/bHr64xuT—
Raz Ya (@RrazMatazz) October 31, 2012

RT @ethanklapper: RT @passantino: AP transmits symbolic photo tonight from Atlantic City: http://t.co/FOsW3pql—
Ryan Broderick (@ryanhatesthis) October 31, 2012

And Belmar, N.J., was badly battered. The destruction is massive.

RT @kylezalewski: @JayGlazer Take a look at belmar Boardwalk http://t.co/LsH8OTBC> really just speechless. They will all push thru together—
Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 30, 2012

The boardwalk is gone. Just gone.

There used to be a boardwalk here (Belmar, NJ) instagram.com/p/RbKnU6hXLd/—
Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) October 30, 2012

Stay strong my shore friends. Unreal for nj. Belmar. Home. Sad http://t.co/pD7BXlrk—
  (@JerseyRock) October 30, 2012

I still can't believe what happened stay safe #belmar #home #missit #nj instagr.am/p/RbMDNyFkJw/—
Katelyn Kraft (@katelynkraft) October 30, 2012

boats in the street – sea spray court neighborhood, on the island between avon-by-the-sea and belmar. #njsandy http://t.co/aF7hDGf3—
AllAsburyPark.com (@Asbury_Park) October 30, 2012

Governor Christie expressed his heartache after surveying the damage.

Heading by helicopter to the Jersey Shore to assess the damage. From early reports, it appears to be unthinkable. #Sandy—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

The Jersey Shore of my youth is gone. #Sandy.—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

The rides I took my kids on this summer are in the Atlantic Ocean. #Sandy—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

There are homes off their foundations sitting in the middle of Rt. 35. #Sandy—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

It was an emotionally overwhelming afternoon for me as a son of this state. #Sandy—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

Photos from his helicopter tour were tweeted.

Dramatic photos from @GovChristie helicopter tour over the shore today. Here's Belmar, NJ http://t.co/DDFp4LB6—
heather haddon (@heatherhaddon) October 30, 2012

House in the street. RT"@heatherhaddon: One more from @GovChristie #Belmar #sandy http://t.co/UgFSSL0R"—
inesfdezcanas (@inextate) October 30, 2012

There used to be a street there leading to my sisters house in Belmar instagr.am/p/RbIWEps8aK/—
Edward L. Galante II (@ELGii22) October 30, 2012

Whats left of #belmar boardwalk..Im standing where that structure used to be..we will rebuild stronger than ever #sandy http://t.co/KCyWjcT2—
Raafe (@raafe316) October 30, 2012

Yes, you will. And Governor Christie is vowing the same.

We will rebuild the Shore. It may not be the same, but we will rebuild. #Sandy—
Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 30, 2012

You will rebuild, New Jersey. Stay strong, together. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you all.

[fatboy]

Unbelivable. My family is an old time Belmar family, this is where I grew up. My grandparents owned a small dinner next to the elementary school, long gone now. Belmar was a great place to live in the late 60s/70s. Graduated from Belmar elem school in 1972 then Manasquan HS class 1976. As a kid, I fished for snappers and blowfish with half of the kids in town in the marina, great memories. And the beach, such fun.

I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers, none of us live in Belmar anymore, it’s just too expensive there. I’m courious to know how our old house in 13th ave made out.

[RFEngineer]

“things like this are always a boon to gentrification projects and enhanced commercialism.”

You need a gentry to support gentrification, and you need return on investment to support commercialism.

[RFEngineer]

“NJ taxes might finish what the storm started.”

I suspect that is why the federal spigot will be opened - so that the tax base won’t be devastated.

I think it would be an instructive exercise to hold everybody who hopes to rebuild to the letter of every law and regulation NJ has - and when they realize it’s impossible, get rid of it for everybody, not just those who wish to rebuild.

[BO Stinkss]

What a bunch of drama queens. This and much worse happens along the gulf coast every year. Would this be such a big deal if it happened to Mobile Alabama or Pascagoula Mississippi? No. The media is just excited because it happened in their back yard.

[proud American in Canada]

Wow. I’ve never been there—but that is devastating damage. Very sad. I hope they can regroup in some manner before the next tourist season.

As someone else said—let’s get Springsteen on the case! :) I couldn’t stand him with Obama—but I’ll bet he can raise some money. Jon Bon Jovi, as well. At the moment, I can’t think of other NJ musical artists, but maybe they can all get together for some sort of benefit concert. Not everything has to be done by the federal government; Americans are generous.

[arasina]

It's a derelict building that really doesn't look much worse than the last time I was there in 1981.

Here are a couple of photos of Asbury Park taken in June 2006. I don't believe Springsteen has since or ever put his money where his mouth "was".

[StAnDeliver]

"I think in some of those areas you need a “before” and “after” picture to figure out if the hurricane actually did any of the damage."

Umm, yeah. The front of the Stone Pony hasn't looked that clean in years...Maybe Bruuuce can do something useful now like a benefit...

[pepsi_junkie]

The pictures of the pilings in Atlantic City where they boardwalk used to be are shocking but not telling the full story. There is a small portion of boardwalk at the end that was especially exposed and that’s now gone. But that’s also a part that is really no very often used. The main portion, where the casinos and the shops are, is still intact.

[heylady]

Everytime I read one of these stories about shorelines being destroyed all I can think of is this song by Neil Diamond:

There was a flood and many poor men were killed.
And that is why our house is built on the top of a hill.
The plains are like a friend, why can’t we live on them?
And if a flood should come, why can’t we run?
I am the lion, bellowing out in the night

[Salamander]

No, he has not.

I hate to admit it but I used to hang out in AP because of Springsteen.

Every chance I got, I’d go spend a few days just slumming around the oh-so-melodramatic/romantic *ghost town*.

For a long time, NY homosexuals have been quietly populating it.

[google ‘gay Asbury park’]

The last time I was there, Madam Marie’s decrepit shack was still on the boardwalk.

Apparently she’s upgraded to a new store front.

The last time I was there Park Place had “mysteriously burned down” and ‘family’ had bought up a lot of the property but development was stalled.

There were a lot of incredible bar bands up there and I loved going.

The Palace was in ruins and has since been torn down but there was a fund drive to save “Tillie”.

But it’s ghost town now and probably always will be.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nj/asburypark.html

Which bizarrely, has made it a destination spot for weirdos like me, apparently...:)

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/2010-08-17-asbury-park-bruce-springsteen_N.htm

[Salamander]

Well it’s not going to do 0 any political good if things aren’t quite as bad as he wants them to seem, now is it?

:-\

[Salamander]

Jimi Hendrix/Castles Made Of Sand

Jesus/ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.

I never understood why people built anything near the ocean.

Then again, I’m a hillbilly and not much for flatland, in general.

[Mase]

Wow. I hadn't heard that about Sea Bright. All those massive homes where Trade Winds used to be must also be gone. I saw pictures of Monmouth Beach Club, and although they sustained serious damage, the building was still standing. Did you hear if the Sea Bright Beach Club was destroyed? There's a lot of history there, and it would be a shame to lose it. My family used to go to the old Peninsula House but ended up at Surfrider when they tore it down. Looking back it's kind of weird having grown up in an environment where so much depended on which beach club you “belonged” to. Still, I loved Sea Bright and that old town beachy feel it had. I hate hearing it is no longer what it was.

[Mase]

Grew up on the jersey shore and Asbury Park was always “Newark by the Sea.” I hear it’s changed, but I’d have to see it to believe it. Spent my summers in Spring Lake, so I hate seeing those beaches and the boardwalk in shambles. Loved Belmar in the summer. I suppose as long as DJais is still there that Belmar will continue being Belmar. There was no place like the shore back in the late 70’s and 80’s.

[Elle Bee]

... Donovan's Reef is the tragedy ... ha

I'm waiting for pictures from friends ... I lived there for a decade or so

.

[Elle Bee]

Frank LoBiondo’s Surfrider – Sea Bright, NJ

I can remember the night the Peninsula house burned down

.

[Elle Bee]

this structure/part of the beach club was on the sea wall now it’s on Route 36

.

[goat granny]

Any one that builds in a designated flood plain deserved what they get....in the old days (i am old) you checked with the township hall before buying land to see if it was a flood plain...they call it that for a reason...

One of my son’s picked a beautiful piece of land to build a home...told him to check.....yep, flood plain, thats why it was vacant...

[rabidralph]

“Sandy, the fireworks are hailing over Little Egypt tonight.”

[bmwcyle]

The growing season down south is much longer and you can replace the plants in a summer or two; longer for trees of course. This is not so in the north. It will take awhile before the trees in the direct path are tall again.

Apple Blossom