When Heidi O’Rourke and her husband, Steve, got to see their ruined New Jersey beach home for the first time yesterday, the waves of devastation finally hit them.
“Its a hundred times worse than we were expecting,” Steve exclaimed, as he stood near his wrecked house in Holgate on Long Beach Island.
The structure had been ravaged by Superstorm Sandy — flooded, covered in sand and left with massive holes, including one that exposed a bathroom for all to see.
“The force of the water just blew the walls right off,” he said. “The whole main floor is destroyed.”
Heidi added: “Our refrigerator was in the garage. Now it’s five houses down.”
The O’Roukes were among hundreds of Jersey Shore home owners who finally got a chance to see the full measure of Sandy’s horror yesterday, as they were given a brief opportunity to visit their damaged houses and grab a few items.
“Everything’s wrecked,” said Raymond Stone, 62, whose house is a block from the beach in Holgate. “Our flat-screen TV’s under the sofa. I knew it was gonna be bad but it was worse than I expected. “There was so much sand, it was like snow over everything.”
Marianne Hurley, 67, who owns Hurley’s Inn, a 10-room hotel across from the Holgate beach, said the destruction was “like a nightmare.”
“I can’t believe this happened,” she said. “Its gonna be a long road ahead of us.”
In the town of Ocean Beach, about 30 miles north, near Seaside Heights, residents were also allowed a first look at the destruction yesterday.
“That was my home. That was where I live. Or where I lived,” said Kathy O’Brien, who burst into tears after finding her house had been inundated. “It’s gone now. It’s very emotional.”
Despite the heartache, many tried to stay positive.
“We had a Jacuzzi in the back yard, and we cannot find it,” said Vinny Renz, 55, of Holgate. “You have to have a good attitude about it, or it will eat you alive.”
With Post Wire Services