I was in Oregon when it happened.
Yes, this is the site where the first season of "Jersey Shore" reality television program was filmed.
Superstorm Sandy lasted for about 10 days and ravaged the
Atlantic coasts from Florida to Maine, before heading inland and flooding parts
of Michigan and Wisconsin. The estimated damage in the United States amounted
to more than $71.4 billion.
It hit New York City and the New Jersey coast on October 29,
2012 -- rendering the storm's worst damage. I had many friends in the path of the storm, as well as my son on Long
Island. After learning they were safe, my mind and heart turned to one little
town along the New Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights.
While New York City was flooded and its subways rendered
inoperable for more than a week, The Jersey Shore suffered the most. And yes,
Seaside Heights was where the “Jersey Shore” television series first season was
shot, wrapping about a month before the storm hit.
The entire Boardwalk has been restored. Casino Pier was a favorite place of mine. My friend, Bill Stevens and I once spent about an hour, and lots of money, shooting cork guns to win a prize for his girlfriend. On the right, I loved to go on the rides that were there.
I have never seen “Jersey Shore,” nor do I care to. But
Seaside Heights is one of the places where my heart lives. It was THE place to
go. As a kid, it was the favorite spot for the boys of Bonnie Brae, the home
for troubled kids where I spent several years. While Atlantic City -- with its
fabulous Steel Pier and top entertainment -- was great, Seaside Heights had the
prettiest girls. Entering my freshman year, my mom took me for a week there and we stayed
in a house that rented rooms. Another family had a girl my age and we spent
some time together, watching the sun rise over the Atlantic and simply talking about nothing important was
what I remember the most. After our senior prom, many of us headed there. And
later that year I had my first auto accident when, looking at an incredibly
beautiful girl in an incredibly skimpy black bikini, I plowed into a car while
running a stop sign.
It was the place I headed to after being discharged from the
Army. I just lay on a blanket and soaked in the newfound freedom and once again
watched bikinis.
Seaside Heights is part of a barrier island. Only five blocks wide, the entire town was underwater from the storm. It is only three feet above sea level. At the right side of the town, the pier sticks out to the ocean. The only part of the Boardwalk to survive the storm was directly behind the pier, though the pier itself was destroyed. This Google photo was taken at low tide. It is not uncommon during the summer for beachgoers to move their blankets back to near the boardwalk as the tide comes in.
This Associated Press Photo shows Casino Pier destroyed with the iconic Jet Star coaster sunk into the ocean. The coaster could not be salvaged and to rebuild it, Casino Pier needs state environmental approval.
So I could care less about Snookie and friends. But I cared
about the place that was once a sanctuary.
I was able to see television reports of the devastation.
Save for an area behind the amusement pier, the entire boardwalk, including the
pier, was destroyed. And a year later a fire caused by electrical circuit
damage again destroyed the rebuilt boardwalk. When the storm took out the
boardwalk, it also damaged the wiring and the second boardwalk was a fire
waiting to happen.
Unlike the rest of the Jersey Shore, the town’s economy was
shattered twice.
Ever since I returned to New Jersey, I wanted to see
Seaside Heights. With the warm burst of springtime weather on March 8, nearly
four years later, I drove there in my new car. It was the first time I had seen
the Atlantic Ocean since 2012 when I left in June on the first of my four
cross-country trips.
The Casino Pier is trying to expand and is seeking a environmental approval to rebuild the coaster that was destroyed by the storm.
Well, the ocean hadn’t changed at all. And I was surprised that many of the attractions that lured me there more than four decades ago remained. The boardwalk, certainly, had miles of rebuilding and many of the rides, stores and games of chance are still there, waiting for the end of winter. The town has plans for a St. Patrick’s parade and an Easter weekend celebration on the last weekend in March hoping for an early, long and profitable season.
One of the things I wanted to do was spend a little money,
perhaps buying lunch, to give a tiny bit back to the town. But nothing along
the Boardwalk was open. Even the McDonalds I passed on the way out of town was
closed for the season.
But there were many people walking along the Boardwalk,
enjoying the mild weather, and I spoke to a man who was setting up his game
spot with stuffed animal prizes. He told me what areas had the most damage, but
said he had gotten out of town long before the storm hit and didn’t return
until it was time to rebuild his place. He said that virtually nobody stayed to
ride through the storm, which was good because the entire town (it is located
on a barrier island and the town is only 3 feet above sea level) was destroyed.
A vendor readies his stand for the St. Patricks and Easter celebrations.
When I was there, it was low tide, and you couldn’t imagine
how the ocean could have overflowed the town. But it did and while there has
been much rebuilding, the evidence of damage remains scattered throughout the
town. There are a number of empty lots, not rebuilt over the years. And a
number of houses have some damage. Most of them show clear evidence of being
rebuilt with new lumber everywhere. And the town hall complex containing
police, fire, court and town offices are rebuilt with bricks instead of wood. I
spoke briefly to the policewoman at the desk. She said she feels safer working in
the building, but doesn’t want to be on duty if another hurricane hits.
A contrasting view. The house is being rebuilt; you can see new windows. While the backyard fence still bears the scars of the storm.
There weren’t many people on the streets. I spoke to
a few. They are generally poor, taking advantage of the low rental rates
during the off-season and hoping to hook up with a job this summer. They said
very few people live here during the winter. The town’s population is just
under 3,000 according to the Census. But to me, these people represented the
town perfectly – down, but not out and ready to come back swinging.
The village is dotted with empty lots where people haven't rebuilt.
