11:39 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012

The island will be open most of the day for owners and tenants. The areas that remain closed are mostly unaccessible and very dangerous. I toured the whole Island with the National Guard and Holgage and North Beach are not places anyone should try to veture into.
Besides people should use their time to do what you suggest and evaluate and document their properties' condition not risk stepping on a live wire, sinking into hip deep soft sand that has been plowed off the road or falling off a 20 foot drop at the end of dune just to satisfy their curiosity.

"Besides people should use their time to do what you suggest and evaluate and document their properties' condition"

Would love to do just that but my house is in Holgate. We know there's a door blown out so the damage continues to build. Perhaps it would have better for the seat in the National Guard vehicle to go to a resident who needs to secure property rather than a reporter seeking a by-line.

"The island will be open most of the day for owners and tenants." Yeah, MOST of the day -- as in you can only get on from 7 AM to Noon. The idea that we're all a bunch of teenage thrill-seeking sightseers is just ludicrous. We're all homeowners who want to get on and see what happened to OUR property that WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. Time to give us grown-up responsible adults more credit!

Only Holgate in ther south and North Beach just above Surf City will remain closed

LBI officials are encouraging all homeowers to plan to winterize their homes since the timeline on the restoration of gas service could take several weeks.

Those are the things you are supposed to grab when you evacuate..... medications, the strongbox with all your important papers and insurance policies. We all had several days warning this storm was on its way. It was a hurricane, not a tornado that struck within minutes... I also don't think you understand how dangerous it could be to just let residents back on the island(s) without traffic lights, stop signs, and still tons (literally TONS) of sand and debris in the roads... if the road is even still there! Honestly, I hate to break it to you all... but you may not even have a house left to get into.

yes the Blvd. is being plowed from the huge amount of sand to allow access north. I was there today and most easements are still undriveable and dangerous to access on foot.

Thank you.... I can't understand why people don't get that. There are sections of roadway along the ocean front from Seaside Park north to who knows where, (Normany Beach? Belmar?) that were completely washed away and/or covered with thousands of tons of sand. Allowing people back into those areas needs to be done carefully and with as little chaos as possible.

It's for anybody who owns a home on LBI.

Residents homeowners and current lease holders.

Yes. Homeowers only even if you are only a summer resident. Must have proof of ownership or a pass issued by the respective townships to keep in your car in the event of an evacuation. You should already have had one. If not, proper ID and a tax record proving ownership.

Well said Mattie.

Pretty obvious you don't own a home on the island. Did you look at the photo? Do you know just how far off the island that line of traffic stretches? LBI homeowners know better than to sit in traffic on 4th of July weekend, we come at off hours. And even when I've had no other choice, I've NEVER been in a jam-up that stretches all the way back to the single lane of Rte 72. That total devastation at MY HOME is MY RESPONSIBLITY to clean up, fix up, and eventually live in again. It's up to me to document my property and my losses. It's up to me to prep my home for the coming storm. It's up to me to prep my home fo the winter. And it will be up to me to go through all the stress and hard work to get it repaired and livable again. Nobody's whining, and nobody wants to sightsee. We just want access to our property to protect it as best we can and salvage what we can. The longer it takes us to do that, the more money it costs the government and the insurance companies. And that translates into higher costs for all of us. I used to work for a utility company. I know what those workers are going through. I have relatives that are first responders. I know how difficult this is on them. However long it takes is however long it takes to do the job right. But there's no need to treat legal homeowners like stupid children.

Beachie Girl, I currently have two family members living with me who "lived" a normal life on the barrier island also. I KNOW the horrible circumstance that this is...One of the homes was completely destroyed. Never once did I hear one single complaint from either of these people. They are thankful for getting out alive and well. Thank God for what you have and not what you lost.

Beachie, I completely realize what people have lost and the ordeal they still need to go through concerning this storm and living over on the barrier islands. I have family members who have lost EVERYTHING. Some of them are now living with me! My post was simply reminding people that there is a reason for allowing only so many people back on the island for short periods of time right now. First people were complaining because they weren't allowed in, now they're complaining because traffic is heavy and moving slowly?? Really? I say to them all, give it a rest already. Be thankful you have a home to get back to and pick through. Many MANY people don't. Also this isn't some personal vendetta to make YOUR life miserable... don't YOU realize that there are large sections of the islands where the roads were completely washed away? You act like all they needed to do was direct a little traffic and everyone would be just fine and dandy rushing back in there to grab the "important" stuff they should have taken with them the first time they left!
You would probably be the first one complaining if something happened to you while you were trying to get back into your neighborhood or home and they didn't "protect" you from it. I don't think YOU realize what most of you are so anxious to run back into... a war zone like situation.

Mattie -- no reason to be snotty. You've put words in my mouth and ascribed opinions to me that I never said. I DO know what I'm going back into. I've been going to LBI since the mid 50s and have seen many storms and destruction there. This is the first time I've been treated like a second class citizen and as if I was too stupid to stay away from a live power line or avoid a section of road that was overrun with sand. They only have the sections of the island open that have been deemed "safe", so I don't need someone to protect me from what is common sense. It was island government that dubbed today's visit a "Grab and Go", not the homeowners. Your assumption that folks didn't take important papers and medication with them when they left is wrong-headed, as are many of your comments. Because I am lucky enough to have seen my house still standing in an aerial video doesn't mean that I didn't lose the contents to water damage. I don't think safe and timely access is too much to ask for. And an expectation that every other homeowner from LBI wants the same thing. For you or anyone else to assume that these comments mean I am ungrateful to first responders or that I'm an "idiot" rushing back to the island is also rude and inappropriate. I wish you and your family members good luck and a safe winter.

I tried to get on the island today, sat in traffic for hours and did not move. Our public officials need to get thier heads out of thier asses, to think that you can open up 1 lane of traffic for 5 hours and get everyone that owns a house back on the island. Hey Mancini, grab this.

I have two relatives with me who "lived" on the barrier island. Sorry, but never once did either say "what about me?" and one lost everything...house, cars, bikes and belongings. I feel your pain, but be thankful for what you have NOW! I wish you the best and hope you get thru this okay.

Suz -- I'm not asking "what about me?" I'm not asking for any handouts or any freebies. I'm just asking for what I think is my right. And that is access to my property to assess the damage and begin the process necessary to move forward. Being thankful for what I have (I am, believe me) and wanting access to see what I've lost are 2 different things. There's a mountain of paperwork and red tape ahead of all of us. I can't believe your 2 relatives don't want the same things. I'm sure they want to get on the island and see if there's anything to be saved. Wishing them all the best.

beachie, we are all stressed out. Words sometimes relay the wrong messages. I too wish you the best of luck with what you find...

Right on, Kim. Those of us who survived this storm with our lives and houses intact need to be so grateful and supportive of the authorities (fireman, police, etc) who are trying their best to get us back to our properties and keep us safe. Let's remember that they, too, are not home with their own families and may have suffered loss as well. We all need to work together, give whatever we can and support all those in our path.

Exactly right Kim. I tried to say the same thing.... but I guess some people are just Me-Me-Me people. It's just all about them 24/7.

I too am a year round resident of Surf City and wish to echo the comments of Big Wazoo. I have the capability of heating my home with either propane or electric in the absence of natural gas. The folks who disregarded the orders of the governor and emergency management officials on the island and county, are not being evicted, regardless of current conditions; some Surf City officials and their families who live in the boro continue living in the "unsafe conditions". There cannot be two standards.
The conditions are either safe for no one, or safe for everyone. Seeing this creates additional anxiety for frustrated full time residents. We are denied the right to live in our house by those that continue to live in theirs when the prevailing conditions are the same. Should there ever be a next time, the unintended consequence of these actions will be evident in that more people will disregard the "mandatory evacuation order", because they dont want to be denied access to THEIR property. Full time residents have no where to go as this is our home also. Consideration should be given to allowing full time residents access to their homes to regain some normalcy.