The Jersey Shore is officially open for summer, Gov. Chris Christie said as he spent Friday morning in Seaside Heights promoting tourism in New Jersey.  Early Friday, Christie appeared on NBC's Today Show, which broadcast its morning news program live from Seaside Heights. The governor later cut a ceremonial ribbon — a Guinness World Record at over five miles long — to officially declare the shore open.  "It's an incredible day for New Jersey," Christie said in remarks. "I'm so thrilled that this morning we're here with the whole country welcoming the Jersey Shore back." After being battered …

Though immense devastation from Superstorm Sandy remains visible up and down the New Jersey coastline, beaches, boardwalks and even rental homes are ready for the annual influx of summer tourists that will begin this weekend, officials said Thursday at the annual "State of the Shore" event in Belmar. The State of the Shore report is presented by state officials and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium every year before Memorial Day weekend kicks off, but this year it evolved to mark the unofficial reopening of the Shore area following Sandy. With emergency repairs to state and local …

President Obama and Gov. Christie will visit the Jersey Shore on Tuesday, according to The Record in Bergen County. Herb Jackson of the Record and northjersey.com reports President Obama will visit the Jersey Shore on Tuesday with Gov. Christie. This will be Obama's first visit to the area since Oct. 31, just after the storm struck. More information can be found here.

More than six months after Superstorm Sandy caused unprecedented damage to the Jersey Shore region, the beaches will be open for Memorial Day Weekend and the summer. While certain access points and facilities might be closed as municipalities continue to work on restoration, for the most part, the beaches will be operational. The only beach that remains off limits to the public is Mantoloking. The borough was home to a breach that split Ocean County's northern barrier island in half and was one of the hardest hit communities in New Jersey during the storm. So as you prepare to stick your toes…

There are two weeks left for survivors of Superstorm Sandy who suffered damage to their homes to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The deadline is midnight, May 1, according to FEMA officials. This is also the deadline for residents to return applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans. Residents can register for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or via smart phone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They also can call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585, and those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-…

Boardwalk reconstruction is well underway in Seaside Heights.  With a deadline of May 10 to finish, crews have been working steadily to add boards to previously installed pilings along the 15-block stretch of planned boardwalk.  The resort town has always eyed Memorial Day as its reopening date, though it appears as though it will beat that prediction. Town officials have yet to schedule a reopening of Seaside Heights' beaches. Debris is still scattered throughout and will require additional, and thorough, beach cleanups before it's ready to go. 

The Fair Share Housing Center has filed and Open Public Records Act complaint against the State, claiming the Christie Administration has not been upfront about its hiring of a consultant to oversee the spending of billions in Hurricane Sandy relief aid. According to the complaint, the state has not complied with a request to provide FSHC with documents relating to the contract and award of a consultant responsible for preparing a plan to spend more than $5 billion federal Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery funds. The organization, which is dedicated to defending the …

Residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy now have until May 1 to register for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to a prepared statement from the governor's office.  The deadline extension also applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Disaster Loan Assistance. Businesses applying for SBA Economic Injury loans still have until July 31 to apply. The loans are for businesses that did not suffer any physical damage, but lost revenue in Sandy's aftermath. State and federal …

Compared to other towns residences in Howell made out well in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in the township with 37 homes sustaining damage, while nearly 2000 businesses reported being impacted according to a new report. NJ Department of Community Affairs data was analyzed by NJSpotlight and released last week. The report found that 37 homes and 1,916 businesses in Howell were damaged by the November storm. Of the homeowners reporting damage all but one reported major damage which is calculated as $8,000 to $28,800. Only three rental units reported damage with all of them being minor according …

It's spring break for many college students. It's time to enjoy some time off from the grind of studying. Hang out with a group of friends, head down to the shore, hit the beaches early and stay out all day. And fill up trash bags with debris.  As colleges clear out this time of year some students are eschewing typical spring break activities for volunteerism, heading to coastal communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy to lend a hand. Beach cleanups, house demolition, reconstruction, and even something as simple, and necessary, as helping residents paint their homes are jobs being handled by…

Two weeks to the day after New Jersey Transit submitted an application for federal funds to help recovery in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, it received over $144 million in aid for the first steps of recovery, NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein said on Thursday night, March 14. “Rebuilding in the aftermath of Sandy has truly been a team approach,” Weinstein said in a statement issued Thursday night. “I am grateful for the efforts of Senators Lautenberg and Menendez, our Congressional delegation, Administrator Rogoff and the FTA, as well as the leaders and staff at FEMA and the …

In the more than four months since Hurricane Sandy arrived in New Jersey and caused massive destruction to its coastal communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed more than $4 billion in aid, loans, and flood insurance payouts, the agency announced recently. FEMA provides regular updates relating to funding totals and the number of residents who have availed themselves of the agency's services as it continues to work in New Jersey to provide assistance following Sandy. According to FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program claim payouts total approximately $2.7 …

Thousands of people crowded the borough's streets, angling through the mass for a position with a decent view. Revelers hung out on motel balconies or behind metal barricades, cheering with the arrival of every beverage. For blocks surrounding the boulevard, drivers circled around, struggling to find a place to park. Welcome back, Seaside. On Saturday, Seaside Heights hosted its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors to enjoy the family-friendly event and witness the shore's ongoing reconstruction efforts. With the boardwalk still being installed after being …

Update 1:22 p.m. Wednesday: Jersey Central Power & Light says there could be power outages lasting a day or more, the utility said. JCP&L, much criticized for its handling of Hurricane Sandy outages, is warning customers on its web page that the impending winter storm could knock out power to some for 24 hours or more. "We recommend that our customers have enough supplies to provide for the safety and welfare of all persons and pets in their household," said a warning on the utility's web site. "These supplies should include nonperishable food items, drinking water, a battery-powered radio, …

Progress is evident. Momentum is building. As he laid out his $32.9 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 at the Statehouse Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie said the state’s future, both economically and in recovery following Hurricane Sandy, is moving in the right direction. With talk of compromise and bipartisanship – as well as a few customary jabs at former governor Jon Corzine’s administration – Christie called on the state’s legislature to keep it going, to make the conscious decision to help New Jersey return to a position of prosperity it once knew. Of course it will do so with the…

New Jersey’s recovery following Hurricane Sandy will come, officials and legislators at Tuesday’s budget introduction at the Statehouse in Trenton said, just don’t expect the state to pay for it. In Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed $32.9 billion budget, only about $40 million has been set aside for Sandy-related recovery, all of it coming in the form of supplemental aid. Its intended use will only be as a stopgap during the process of the state’s securing aid for various recovery efforts. The negligible sum will have little impact on the state’s budget, according to New Jersey Treasurer Andrew …

A man who stood atop the wreckage of the water-drenched roller coaster near the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights last month was in court Tuesday but the case was adjourned, according to a report from News12. The man, identified as 38-year-old Chris Angulo of Lavallette, climbed aboard the ruins of the Jet Star roller coaster in an effort to call attention to Sandy recovery, according to News12. State police and local authorities worked to get the man off the wreckage. Angulo is facing various charges related to his climb onto the wrecked roller coaster and placing an American flag at the top. …

Towns all along New Jersey's coast were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Boardwalks were pulled back into the sea by surging waves, homes were knocked off of their foundations and residents left homeless. Despite the disaster, there's still hope. In Union Beach Saturday, and estimated crowd of about 1,000 people walked through the Sandy-ravaged town to show their support for recovery and each other. With little notice about the event other than a posting online, word of mouth spread throughout the week, resulting in a large and somewhat unexpected turnout. Many of those walking count themselves…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing free advice on how to repair or rebuild your Hurricane Sandy-damaged home at several home improvement stores throughout the area. With an eye on rebuilding to mitigate future disaster damage, FEMA experts will be on hand to offer building techniques that can help protect homes, businesses and other properties.  Among the topics advice is being offered on are: •             Ridding a home of mold and mildew. •             Understanding flood- and wind-resistant building methods. •             Knowing the benefits of flood insurance…

Randall Kidd’s story isn’t unique. A Union Beach resident, he’s faithfully paid into the National Flood Insurance Program for years, insuring his home against the kind of flood damage caused by Hurricane Sandy with a $217,000 policy he hoped would make him whole. After his home was destroyed by the late October storm, Kidd set about filling out the appropriate paperwork, meeting with adjusters who came in from out of state and waiting for the check to arrive so he could start to work. Finally, the check did come, but for $89,000, less than half of what contractors have told him it will cost …