We received this notice from our local Board of Realtors:
The Ocean County Board of REALTORS® is requesting assistance with temporary or short-term housing rentals for NJ residents displaced due to the storm. Please contact twissel@oceancountyrealtors.org
If you own a shore home and would be interested in renting, please contact me, or the name referenced above.
Only minor tidal flooding – no worse than we see during a typical winter storm. Sunny, and warmer weather PROMISED for the weekend!
Because we can…and it matters!
P.S.  This seems especially fitting today- an opportunity to donate.Â
The North Wildwood Fire House at 15th and Central Avenue is accepting donations to assist the displaced residents from our neighboring shore towns.  Two hundred families will be relocated to the Wildwoods as temporary shelter.
I shopped at the Acme for non-perishable food items, toiletries, baby items, soap, laundry detergent, etc. and also purchased a few Acme gift cards.  The firemen unloaded the bags from my car and will take care of sorting and distribution.
More information is available on the Lunch with Lynch web site
(This is an established charitible organization- you can be assured that your donation will be put to good use).
It’s officially Halloween.Â
Unfortunately, our candy accompanied us to PA for the evacuation…and was put to good use!
I have some left. And a box of granola bars in the cabinet ;)Â
Will hope for the best!
It may take a bit more effort and some climbing…but I am determined to get back to my beach walks.
The island is busy with property owners cleaning and tossing wet items.
Yet, no one is complaining. We all realize that our issues are minor compared to shore towns just north of us. And, I am hearing the phrase “survivor’s guilt” again, and again – especially from year round residents.
Thank you to  Twitter friend Sharon Miller for sending me a picture of Villa Maria in Stone Harbor, circa 1955.
A beautiful island landmark- then and now!
I took the other picture on Wednesday morning- after returning to the island post Sandy.
Thanks to our vehicle beach permit and a few quick beach walks, I have been able to check on the status of the Avalon and Stone Harbor beaches.
Avalon- very fortunate that the dunes held, especially in the north end. Most beach paths end with a steep cliff, with obvious beach erosion. Yet there IS beach!
From 30th Street and south through the 60’s, the paths are level and only exhibit minor damage. There is a bit more dune exposure in the 70’s.
Stone Harbor – The dunes took a hit in the 80’s, yet that section of dune was well established and provided great protection. The downtown beach entrances (wooden walkways) will need repair. South of town, the dunes were more narrow and are damaged. The walkway at Nuns’ Beach is free standing when previously it was sitting over a dune.
South of 111th Street, the beach paths are more level with the beach (fewer cliffs), yet debris blocks the paths.
There was serious erosion of the dunes down by the Hobie Cat beach.  The landscape of the Point is changed (the natural sand dunes washed over), yet the long, sandy stretch is still there for the birds…and fishermen.
Even if a friend walked through (or I drove by) and said your house is fine, please make an effort to come down and thoroughly inspect.
It’s easy to miss something on a quick walk through. For example, I didn’t notice a minor leak by one of our windows until the second day we were home. Â
The towns are allowing owners to rake the marsh grass to the curb.  Borough trucks are driving around to pick up and dispose of the debris.
If you had any flooding around your house, be sure to check the crawl space. If the insulation got wet, it MUST be removed and thrown away. Insulation will not dry- in fact it will hold the moisture and cause mold on the floor boards over time.
If you need recommendations for contractors, etc. to help with the clean up, please let me know 609-967-7950
While inspecting the island yesterday, I saw many unusual sights:
At first I thought the owner of this house was planning a unique landscaping project- then realized the logs are the top of pilings cut off after the pilings are installed in the ground. They had floated over from the new construction job site across the street!
Unfortunately, this is a common sight. Marsh grass from the bay was deposited in MANY yards on the island. In this case, mixed with other trash. Landscape companies are already out helping property owners rake and remove the debris.
Along with the marsh grass, docks traveled in the flood waters and ended up in yards of homes blocks away. Hopefully the dock owners will make claim and remove.
Helping Fellow Shore Residents
A local organization is making it easy to help nearby shore residents displaced by Sandy: Lunch with Lynch web site
It’s an established charitable group- you can be assured that your donation will be put to good use!
I dropped off groceries and Acme gift cards the other day: 15th and Central Avenue at the North Wildwood Fire House. Donations of gift cards are encouraged.