Jersey Shore Reopens Seven Months After Superstorm Sandy

Seaside Heights, NJ — The Jersey Shore reopened on Friday, seven months after Superstorm Sandy decimated the iconic boardwalks, rides, and eateries.

And New Jersey welcomed the resort region back in style. The ribbon cutting ceremony, featuring Governor Chris Christie and the cast of Jersey Shore, set a new world record.

Christie and a host of volunteers cut the 5.5-mile ribbon, which symbolically tied together some of the regions hit hardest by the massive storm. Mike Janela, and adjudicator for Guinness, was present to witness the event, and stated that the ceremony bested the previous record-holder by about a mile.

Christie, who spoke as construction continued on the iconic Jersey Shore boardwalk, stated:

“This is an incredible day for New Jersey. Seven months ago I saw the devastation on this boardwalk. Seven months ago I saw the devastation on this boardwalk. I knew that if we all worked hard we could get this done.”

And they did. In seven long months, residents along the shore have rebuilt 80 percent of what Sandy took from them. The storm caused more than $38 billion in damages to New Jersey, wrecking 360,000 homes or apartment units.

But even in Seaside Heights, where the storm swept a roller coaster off the boardwalk and into the ocean, is getting back to normal. The roller coaster was removed last month and Casino Pier, the amusement park where it used to sit, plans to open 18 rides this summer.

Thanks to the hard work, most of the shore looks just like it did last summer. However, there is still much to be done. Despite the Jersey Shore reopening, more work still needs to be done to completely recover from the killer storm. This season will likely be different too, though it is not clear if the storm and the damage it caused will hurt the state’s $40 billion tourist industry, or if it will help as tourists try to look for any lingering evidence that Sandy happened.

Do you plan on visiting the Jersey Shore this summer? Did you already know most of the damage from Superstorm Sandy has been repaired?