Podcast

[Nat Sound] - Ocean waves crashing against the shore.

[Matthew Reese] - The Atlantic Ocean. Today, it is perfectly calm. Peaceful, even, as small waves lap against what's left of the shore in Ocean City, New Jersey. Only a week ago, the scene could not have been more different, when Hurricane Sandy, or as some have called it, "Superstorm Sandy," reeked havoc along the Northeast coast. Sylvia Jimeñez, like many other Ocean City residents, were shocked by the amount of damage Sandy caused when they were allowed back onto the island on Monday.

[Sylvia Jimeñez] - The dunes are completely gone. I have never seen that much of the music pier in my entire life. There's a piece of the boardwalk ramp down there completely missing. There's ramps everywhere missing. You can see clear under the boardwalk to the other side. There's, I mean, there's no beach left.

[Reese] - According to the Barclay's Economic Research Team, Superstorm Sandy will cost between $30 and $50 billion dollars in damage. Making it the second-most devastating storm in the post war era.

[Ms. Jimeñez] - This is, insane. By far, worse than the storm in '62. I mean, things just missing. The pier way down there, you can't even see it from here, just knocked out. There's no parts left to it. It's a clear day, I can see all the way down to Wildwood, Avalon, all those areas down there. I can only imagine the damage that's down there.

[Reese] - The storm in '62 the Ms. Jimeñez is referencing is the Great Atlantic storm of 1962. A 'noreaster that devastated the entire New Jersey coastline, causing nearly $750 million dollars of damage. New Jersey governor Chris Christie reflected on the damage caused by Sandy, Monday during a press conference at a Hurricane Sandy relief rally.

 [Governor Chris Christie] - The Jersey shore of my youth where we used to go all the time, to the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, it is gone. The pier with the rides, where I took my kids this August, are in the Atlantic Ocean.

[Reese] - Though the damage is widespread and severe, many coastal dwellers are optimistic that they will recover from this massive storm.

[Tom Wertzer - Coastal Dweller] - Temporary setback, ha ha ha. I'll be back and I'll be better than ever.

[Reese] - Cleanup crews all across the Northeast coast have been working tirelessly to restore power, and clean up the aftermath of Sandy. As of Monday, about 80 percent of homes had power, leaving nearly two million people still in the dark.

[Nat Sound Filler] - Ocean waves crashing in the background.

[Reese] - If you woud like to donate to the American Red Cross for the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, go to redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to place a $10 dollar donation. This has been Matthew Reese, reporting from Ocean City, New Jersey.