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| Sandy aftermath: Atlantic City counts the cost | Sandy aftermath: Atlantic City counts the cost |
| (4 months later) | |
| The city that gave the world its culture of beauty pageants was stripped of its most famous adornment, after hurricane Sandy tore off a quarter-mile stretch of the legendary boardwalk leaving in its place a yawning expanse of empty concrete piers and debris. | The city that gave the world its culture of beauty pageants was stripped of its most famous adornment, after hurricane Sandy tore off a quarter-mile stretch of the legendary boardwalk leaving in its place a yawning expanse of empty concrete piers and debris. |
| For a city that brands itself as the "fun" gambling destination, Atlantic City was a sad and lonely place on Tuesday. | For a city that brands itself as the "fun" gambling destination, Atlantic City was a sad and lonely place on Tuesday. |
| The grand casinos, though closed for business, still towered above the ocean front. But they too were scuffed up, with the Tropicana missing its last red illuminated "A" even several storeys up. | The grand casinos, though closed for business, still towered above the ocean front. But they too were scuffed up, with the Tropicana missing its last red illuminated "A" even several storeys up. |
| Upwards of 10,000 people were left without electricity on Tuesday, and scores of homes were flooded or damaged by flying debris. One homeowner woke up to find an unknown houseboat in his front yard, there were even accounts of a shark washing ashore. | Upwards of 10,000 people were left without electricity on Tuesday, and scores of homes were flooded or damaged by flying debris. One homeowner woke up to find an unknown houseboat in his front yard, there were even accounts of a shark washing ashore. |
| The streets were largely deserted, in part because of New Jersey's emergency declaration which has restricted car traffic. But a few hardy people walked around town, hunching their shoulders against the strong winds. | The streets were largely deserted, in part because of New Jersey's emergency declaration which has restricted car traffic. But a few hardy people walked around town, hunching their shoulders against the strong winds. |
| The signs of Sandy's fury were still apparent on the main strip of Atlantic Avenue – lamp posts and parking meters flung around as if they were toothpicks, slabs of metal from shopfronts on the pavement, uprooted trees and streaks of mud and garbage everywhere. | The signs of Sandy's fury were still apparent on the main strip of Atlantic Avenue – lamp posts and parking meters flung around as if they were toothpicks, slabs of metal from shopfronts on the pavement, uprooted trees and streaks of mud and garbage everywhere. |
| But the most shocking sight for those who weathered the storm in Atlantic City was the loss of the northern end of the boardwalk, now reduced to piles of timber flung randomly around town. | But the most shocking sight for those who weathered the storm in Atlantic City was the loss of the northern end of the boardwalk, now reduced to piles of timber flung randomly around town. |
| "I was devastated. I couldn't believe it," said Brenda Ford, who works as a server at one of the casinos. "I spend my whole summer here, every day. During the summer you have to step over bodies just to get through. It's just devastating to see this." | "I was devastated. I couldn't believe it," said Brenda Ford, who works as a server at one of the casinos. "I spend my whole summer here, every day. During the summer you have to step over bodies just to get through. It's just devastating to see this." |
| There were heaps of timber on the beach as well as up Atlantic Avenue several blocks from the shore, and about 20 assorted planks stacked up in front of Zelphia Connor's wrecked garage. | There were heaps of timber on the beach as well as up Atlantic Avenue several blocks from the shore, and about 20 assorted planks stacked up in front of Zelphia Connor's wrecked garage. |
| Connor expected damage after listening to the roaring winds and ocean of the storm from her house. At high tide, the water covered the fire hydrant just outside her lot. | Connor expected damage after listening to the roaring winds and ocean of the storm from her house. At high tide, the water covered the fire hydrant just outside her lot. |
| "But I never expected in a million years to see the boardwalk washed out," she said. The lumber sailed through her metal garage door, crushing bicycles, patio furniture and depositing a variety of items Connor had never seen before. | "But I never expected in a million years to see the boardwalk washed out," she said. The lumber sailed through her metal garage door, crushing bicycles, patio furniture and depositing a variety of items Connor had never seen before. |
| "There is a refrigerator that landed here from somewhere, and a whole lot of memorabilia," she said. Her own belongings were just as scattered; her photo album turned up three streets away. | "There is a refrigerator that landed here from somewhere, and a whole lot of memorabilia," she said. Her own belongings were just as scattered; her photo album turned up three streets away. |
| A few blocks away, John Susavage watched the destruction of the boardwalk from the kitchen of his 100-year-old red brick mansion. "It was just piece by piece as the waves hit," he said. "The waves just came right up and washed right over it." | A few blocks away, John Susavage watched the destruction of the boardwalk from the kitchen of his 100-year-old red brick mansion. "It was just piece by piece as the waves hit," he said. "The waves just came right up and washed right over it." |
| Some of those waves crashed through five windows on his lower floor. At the storm's height, the water was chest-height in his basement and Susavage swears he could feel fish swimming around his legs. | Some of those waves crashed through five windows on his lower floor. At the storm's height, the water was chest-height in his basement and Susavage swears he could feel fish swimming around his legs. |
| He awoke on Tuesday morning to new surprises. His black Lincoln Continental, parked inside a brick retaining wall, had washed up on his neighbour's property. A lamp post from the boardwalk had landed perilously close to the window frame. "Another 2.5 inches, and that wall would have been gone,": he said measuring the distance. | He awoke on Tuesday morning to new surprises. His black Lincoln Continental, parked inside a brick retaining wall, had washed up on his neighbour's property. A lamp post from the boardwalk had landed perilously close to the window frame. "Another 2.5 inches, and that wall would have been gone,": he said measuring the distance. |
| Atlantic City was arguably the worst hit of the string of resort towns that took the brunt of Hurricane Sandy. At high tide, when the storm made landfall on Monday night, the waves were up to 30ft and the surge brought sea water, mud and debris several blocks inland. | Atlantic City was arguably the worst hit of the string of resort towns that took the brunt of Hurricane Sandy. At high tide, when the storm made landfall on Monday night, the waves were up to 30ft and the surge brought sea water, mud and debris several blocks inland. |
| "This is like ground zero," said a police woman holding sightseers back from the ocean front. She scuffed at the sand beneath her feet. "This isn't supposed to be beach, you know. This is all paved." | "This is like ground zero," said a police woman holding sightseers back from the ocean front. She scuffed at the sand beneath her feet. "This isn't supposed to be beach, you know. This is all paved." |
| Scenes of severe flooding on Monday night set off an angry political exchange, with New Jersey's governor Chris Christie accusing the city's mayor Lorenzo Longford of discouraging people from evacuating. | Scenes of severe flooding on Monday night set off an angry political exchange, with New Jersey's governor Chris Christie accusing the city's mayor Lorenzo Longford of discouraging people from evacuating. |
| But Connor, like the others who stayed through the storm, said she never imagined it would get so bad. "I heard the mayor say we should get out but in my mind I never ever thought it was going to be that bad," she said. | But Connor, like the others who stayed through the storm, said she never imagined it would get so bad. "I heard the mayor say we should get out but in my mind I never ever thought it was going to be that bad," she said. |
| "But it absolutely was." | "But it absolutely was." |
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