NJ, Local Officials Conduct Tour of Damage

STONE HARBOR – Acting Gov. Kim Guadagno, DEP Commissioner Robert Martin, and National Guard and OEM (Office of Emergency Management) representatives among others traveled to Cape May County Jan. 25 to assess first-hand damage from Winter Storm Jonas.
Guadagno moved from lieutenant governor to “acting” governor over the weekend since Gov. Chris Christie returned to New Hampshire, campaigning as one of the Republican candidates in that state’s presidential primary.
Prior to touring the beach at 111th and First Avenue here, the group answered media questions. The site was chosen because dunes of its beach had seen significant drop off although still intact. They protected homes along that stretch.
Other officials who also assembled at the location included Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak, Sen. Jeff Van Drew, (both D-1st), Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters, Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio and County Clerk Rita Fulginiti.
Ironically many media arrived late because the Great Channel Bridge leading to the borough had become “stuck” in the words of the police right at the time most were making their way to 111th St. Andrzejczak noted that “it was really bad timing and a big inconvenience.”
According to Guadagno and Martin the purpose of the visit was to evaluate effects of the storm and then do the necessary repairs hopefully with federal funding.
“We’re here to help, the governor and I have been closely monitoring the storm and talking with all kinds of folks” said Guadagno.
“The damage is nowhere near as bad as what happened with Sandy, the dunes did their job, the Army Corps had a well-designed project and we’ll continue to work with them to move up the chain any requests we have for funding and to fix any damage. We did request funding after Joaquin in October but were not successful so let’s see what happens this time,” said Martin.
Fulginiti commented that her own observation was that there was good teamwork among relevant state, county and local offices and emphasized as well the barrier the dunes had provided so that beachfront properties were protected.
Desiderio echoed Martin’s observations that the dunes performed as they were meant to, saying “in Sea Isle City the dunes held, they did not break, the major damage we’ve seen is from the side of the back bay and flooding from there, we are all monitoring what has happened.
“In fact, I heard throughout the weekend from the governor’s office, the (Office of Emergency Management) there, so there has been communication from Trenton throughout the storm.”
Walters said she had the same experience with calls from Trenton before, during and after Jonas to see how things were proceeding.
Coincidentally at the time of the beach visit by these officials, Stone Harbor second home owner, Beth Warren, was at the 111th Street beach having travelled from Cherry Hill to see what was the condition of her back bay home.
“I am shocked at the damage we’ve experienced and observed at my home and at those of my neighbors on Paradise Drive. My mother first lived in our house on Paradise Drive in 1962 and this is the worst we’ve ever seen. Whole docks are gone, the bay is totally trashed, docks are just floating by, and we have reeds and other debris over two feet high on our property.” 
After viewing the sheared dunes the officials made their way to North Wildwood continuing their tour of coastal communities which had borne the large brunt of flooding and other damage from Jonas. 
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.