Hurricane Sandy

Video Shows Close-Up of Camp Osborn Fire

Video posted day after Sandy, but recently surfaced locally

The fire that destroyed the Camp Osborn neighborhood during Superstorm Sandy was captured in an up-close video and uploaded to YouTube by way of a Mexican news site Oct. 31, 2012, but the video has only recently surfaced locally. The neighborhood, comprised of a mix of vacation bungalows and some newer, year-round homes, was nearly completely destroyed in the storm. Homeowners are still debating how to rebuild their neighborhood. Due to an ocean-to-bay breach at the Mantoloking Bridge, neither firefighters nor private heavy equipment crews were able to get to the site for several days.

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Waves Pound Local Beaches, Wind Roars As Nor'Easter Moves In

VIDEO: Water rushes in Manasquan Inlet, no dune washovers yet, transformer blows along Route 35 near Ocean Beach Shores

Water rushed quickly into Manasquan Inlet as winds began to gust, and ocean waves crashed hard against the shore, nearly reaching dune berms that had been pushed up to mitigate potential damage as a nor'easter began to make its presence known at the Jersey Shore. Back bay water levels ran low at low tide however, though they were expected to reach several feet above normal at high tide Wednesday. As high tide approached on the oceanfront, no washover was observed on Route 35, however there were scattered reports of power outages. A transformer blew and wires could be seen arcing along Route 35 South near Toms River's Ocean Beach Shores neighborhood.

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Hurricane Sandy

UPDATE: Route 35 Will Be Completely Rebuilt, Christie Administration Says

The $215 million project, which will include installing a new and improved drainage system, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015

Governor Christie announced Tuesday that Route 35, from Point Pleasant Beach to South Seaside Park in Berkeley, will be completely rebuilt. The $215 million project, which will include installing a new and improved drainage system, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015. Funding will come from federal sources, Christie said. The governor announced the project at a press conference held with Ocean County officials at the Lavallette Fire Company building, a block away from the state highway that is the focus of the reconstruction project. The new highway will be 24 inches thick, including asphalt pavement and the stabilizing sub-base materials. The Christie administration said it will do its best to minimize summer disruptions, …

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Brick, Mantoloking Working on Easements, Pushing for Dune Projects

After Sandy, officials say, need for dune renourishment is greater than ever

Officials in Brick Township and Mantoloking Borough are both hoping their residents sign easements allowing for an Army Corps of Engineers dune project that will shore up the oceanfront and, hopefully, prevent breaches like the one that occurred near the Mantoloking Bridge during Superstorm Sandy. That breach, which led to a 20 foot-deep inlet forming between the ocean and the base of the county-owned bridge across Barnegat Bay, is largely blamed for the resulting floods in mainland neighborhoods such as Shore Acres and Baywood in Brick Township. A plan to greatly widen ocean beaches and erect high dunes – similar to those in Long Beach Island, which withstood the wrath of Sandy – between Manasquan Inlet and South Seaside Park has been in …

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36 Tickets, 7 Arrests in Mantoloking Since Route 35 Reopened

Several tickets for 'unwanted tourism,' officials say

Police in Mantoloking have issued 36 summonses and made seven arrests since the full reopening of Route 35 through the storm-damaged borough. Chris Nelson, special counsel for the borough's recovery effort, said at a borough council meeting Tuesday that the summonses include 12 issued for "unwanted tourism" and four for "scrapping." The borough is defining unwanted tourism as motorists stopping their vehicles to take pictures of the destruction from Superstorm Sandy. Scrapping refers to motorists who enter the borough to illegally take away pieces of scrap metal. "For the first time in my life, I saw a woman in her Mercedes driving 50 m.p.h. along Route 35 filming the length of the borough of Mantoloking," said Nelson. A 25 m.p.h. speed …

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William Hammski

6:01 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013

Resident > My response was to the SSH winter renter post to say it was not in SSH and not a winter renter. Two on the barrier island NOT IN SSH, and one west of Toms River. And TWO internet connections, Cablevision on the barrier and Comcast in the west. And NO connections in SSH.   more ›

PHOTOS: On Barrier Island, Nonstop Repair Work Continues

Recovery and repair underway

Those who do not live near the Jersey Shore may have their lives back to normal nearly three months after Superstorm Sandy struck. But for locals, a simple ride along Route 35 northbound from Normandy Beach into Mantoloking is a reminder of the devastation that still exists for many year-round and part-time residents.

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Hurricane Sandy

NJAW: Barrier Island Restoration Going Well

Service line work, meter replacements progressing

New Jersey American Water Company has reported that its work in the Brick and Toms River sections of the northern barrier island are on track. While water service has been restored to the mains island wide, some side streets still needed work and service to some homes needed to be restored as residents repopulated. "Restoration of service lines and water meters in Brick and Toms River is progressing well," the company said in a statement. As part of the ongoing work in Toms River's Ortley Beach section, NJAW crews will begin using GPS devices to "pre locate" meters, valves and hydrants, the company said. The one town that does not have water service at all is Mantoloking Borough, due to the fact that sewer lines have not yet been repaired…

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Mantoloking: Route 35 to Remain Closed North of Bridge

Houses still exposed north of the bridge

Route 35 north of Herbert Street – known as Mantoloking Road on the Brick side of the Mantoloking Bridge – remains closed in Mantoloking Borough, officials said. Drivers proceeding north on Route 35 from points south may not continue unless they have a Mantoloking borough pass, said Mantoloking Police Lt. John D. Barcus. The roadway is also closed in the southbound direction at Mathis Place in Bay Head to Herbert Street. Even if drivers are residents of a neighboring town, they are not allowed to traverse Route 35 in that area without a Mantoloking pass. There has been no determination made as to when the highway may reopen north of the bridge. At a Jan. 7 borough council meeting, Mayor George Nebel said many houses were still exposed and …

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Lavallette to Receive $1.1M in Sandy Aid

Disbursement follows passage of recent recovery bill

Lavallette will receive $1.1 million in federal Sandy recovery aid, it was announced Wednesday. The disbursement is part of a continuing federal effort that will reimburse the borough – like most other Shore towns – for expenditures during storm recovery including compensation for first responders who worked to remove downed electrical wires, perform water rescues, and clear blocked roadways, according to a joint statement by U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. "When Superstorm Sandy hit, first responders in Lavallette acted quickly to protect the community and serve local residents during a time of great need," said Lautenberg, the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds FEMA, in a statement. "This …

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