Gov. Sherrill tours Jersey Shore nor'easter damage as beach towns push for federal aid

Cleanup continues down the Jersey Shore as many people are still assessing the damage after the weekend nor'easter.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was on the ground in Brigantine Tuesday to see the power of Mother Nature firsthand. Sherrill says the state is working with federal partners to help beach towns recover.

"This is just the beginning of storm season," Sherrill said, "and so making sure we move as quickly as possible to get the beaches in their most protective state for these homeowners will be key."

Hundreds of feet of the beach in Brigantine was washed away, and the city's promenade suffered structural damage.

Brigantine is not due for a beach replenishment project until 2029. The mayor is now asking for an emergency project.

"There's no beach here without the dune system that protects our island and this beach," Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said. "It puts a lot of our homes in danger, and we need to get ahead of that before it gets wiped out."

Sera says he is working with Rep. Jeff Van Drew and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to extend the seawall by 275 feet to help protect the city from future storms. He also says the head of FEMA will be in town Thursday.

In nearby Atlantic City, the storm's strong winds toppled the giant dinosaur displays at Showboat's Jurassic Beach Dinosaur Park. 

The beaches in AC suffered severe erosion, and steep cliffs have left several beach access points unsafe and unusable.

"The dunes got beat up a little bit, but they protected the infrastructure," Don Milora, who lives down the shore, said, "and that's what they're designed to do."

Ed Potosnak, the commissioner of the NJDEP, also toured the damage. He said recovery will be challenging, but within days the state will submit a request asking for federal assistance.

"We're going to work closely with the Army Corps of Engineers to help with our survey to make sure everything is lining up with what they're seeing," Potosnak said, "and then put together a federal request so we can get our communities protected for the next storm that can come. We're in storm season now."