Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without power, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as super storm Hurricane Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain. The full extent of the damage in New Jersey, where the storm roared ashore Monday night with hurricane force, was unclear. Police and fire officials, some with their own departments flooded, fanned out to rescue hundreds. The $50billion superstorm: Full picture of the devastation wreaked by Sandy revealed in heartbreaking shots of US East Coast homes. Super storm Sandy has claimed lives of at least 55 people on US East Coast with New Jersey and NYC badly affected -
Obama skips campaign events in battleground states in favour of visit to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's state -
Gov Christie: 'We've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do together. This is what New Jerseyans are built for' -
Paul Ryan scheduled for Wisconsin this morning // Mitt Romney will be in Tampa, Florida at 11:10 EDT (15:10 GMT) -
Vice-President Joe Biden in Sarasota, Florida at 11:30 (15:30) // Obama in Atlantic City, New Jersey at 13:00 (17:00) -
Obama will return to campaign trail tomorrow with trips to Green Bay, Wisconsin; Boulder, Colorado; and Las Vegas | From the lowest lying areas of the New Jersey shoreline, where residents were already being encouraged to leave, to the state's northern highlands, where sandbags were being filled and cars moved into car parks on higher ground, New Jersey began preparing in earnest for Hurricane Sandy on Monday. Along the boardwalk at Asbury Park in New Jersey, a few hardy souls ventured out to watch the building fury of Hurricane Sandy. Businesses were boarded up and sandbags in place as the storm lashed the coastline. Even so, residents of nearby towns walked out into the face of the storm to see for themselves.
The brunt of Hurricane Sandy's powerful winds, surf and rain hit the New Jersey coastline and the nation's most populous city. NewsHour examines the situation in New York and in the greater Northeast region, where schools and public transportation closed down, flights were canceled and an estimated 6.2 million people lost power. This is almost like a tsunami as 20 foot high waves engulfed communities closed to the waterfront. See my posting entitled East Coast Tsunami. To those who are still in doubt…..” ITS GLOBAL WARMING STUPID” New Yorkers awoke to widespread powercuts and flooding on Tuesday, after Superstorm Sandy hit the city on Monday evening. An unprecedented 13-foot (3.9-metre) surge of seawater - 3 feet (90 centimetres) above the previous record - gushed into lower Manhattan, inundating tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street. | These are the heartbreaking pictures of homes and communities across the US East Coast ravaged by a deadly superstorm that has shocked the world. Barack Obama will today meet victims of Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey - skipping campaign events in battleground US regions in favour of visiting a state he is confident of winning - as it was revealed the total damage caused by Superstorm Sandy is expected to eventually hit $50billion (£31billion). The President's visit today - just six days before the election is due next Tuesday - has forced his Republican challenger Mitt Romney to walk a careful line, with him having to show respect for the storm’s casualties along the East Coast, even though he can't afford to waste a minute of campaign time. On fire: This photo from the New Jersey Governor's Office shows damage north of Seaside, New Jersey, on Tuesday after Superstorm Sandy made landfall Severe damage: This picture provided by the US Coast Guard shows property damages along the New Jersey coast caused by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday Underwater: This picture provided shows flooded homes in Tuckerton, New Jersey, after Superstorm Sandy made landfall on the southern New Jersey coastline Flooding: A Portion of Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, New Jersey is underwater on Tuesday, a day after Superstorm Sandy blew across the state Uprooted: This picture provided by the US Coast Guard shows property damage along the New Jersey coast caused by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday Changed landscape This photo from the New Jersey Governor's Office shows flooding on the bay side of Seaside, New Jersey, on Tuesday after Sandy made landfall Just still there: The damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast, in a photo taken during a search and rescue mission BEFORE AND AFTER: THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF SUPERSTORM SANDY ON ATLANTIC CITY'S HOLIDAY HOMES These startling before-and-after pictures reveal what is left of parts of the East Coast. Just one solitary house was left standing on the east side of New Jersey's Mantoloking Bridge in Brick. Rows of Atlantic holiday homes were wiped out by the 900-mile storm with its surging waters and winds of 95mph. How it was: This image from Google Maps shows Mantoloking Bridge in Brick, New Jersey, before the devastation was caused by Superstorm Sandy Severe destruction: An aerial view from Greenpeace taken by Tim Aubry of the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy along the New Jersey coast in Brick After tamping down his partisan tone yesterday at an Ohio event that emphasised victims' relief, Mr Romney planned three full-blown campaign rallies today in Florida, the largest competitive state. Sandy largely spared Florida, so Mr Romney calculates he can campaign there without appearing callous. But President Obama’s revised schedule is also a political gamble. Rather than use the campaign's final Wednesday to woo voters in the tossup states that will decide the election, he will go before cameras with New Jersey's Republican governor, Chris Christie. Governor Christie is a prominent supporter of Mr Romney and a frequent critic of the President. But the Governor praised President Obama's handling of the response to Superstorm Sandy. This is a political twist the visit is sure to underscore. Their meeting comes as people in the heavily populated US East Coast corridor battered by Sandy took the first cautious steps to reclaim their upended daily routines today, even as rescuers combed neighbourhoods strewn with debris and scarred by floods and fire. By last night, the winds and flooding inflicted by the fast-weakening Sandy had subsided, leaving at least 55 people dead along the Atlantic Coast and splintering beachfront homes and boardwalks from the mid-Atlantic states to southern New England. The storm later moved across Pennsylvania on a predicted path toward western New York State and Canada. Contenders: US President Barack Obama (left) talks about damage done by Hurricane Sandy and rescue efforts while at the National Red Cross HQ in Washington D.C. yesterday; while Republican candidate Mitt Romney loads relief supplies for people affected by Hurricane Sandy into a truck at a relief campaign event in Kettering, Ohio Well done: President Obama, who will be keen to avoid a public relations disaster ahead of next week's presidential election, is applauded after his speech Speech: President Obama talks during his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross National HQ to discuss Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday Helping out: Romney loads tins of Campbell's soup for people affected by Superstorm Sandy during an appearance in Kettering, Ohio, on Tuesday Eerie: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (centre) views storm damage in the Breezy Point area of Queens, New York, after fire destroyed about 80 homes Extraordinary: Sand and debris covers the streets near the water in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after the area was wrecked by Superstorm Sandy Complete devastation: A lone piece of colour in a children's playground is pictured surrounded by sand and debris near the ocean in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday At the height of the disaster, more than 8.2 million customers lost electricity - some as far away as Michigan. Nearly a quarter of those without power were in New York, where lower Manhattan's usually bright lights remained dark for a second night. When Governor Christie stopped in Belmar, New Jersey, during a tour of the devastation, one woman wept openly and 42-year-old Walter Patrickis told him: ‘Governor, I lost everything.' Governor Christie, who called the shore damage‘unthinkable,’ said a full recovery would take months and it would likely be a week or more before power is restored to everyone who lost it. 'This is a tough time for millions of people. But America is tougher' US President Barack Obama ‘Now we've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do together. This is the kind of thing New Jerseyans are built for,’ he added. Governor Christie said that when he speaks with President Obama today, he plans to ask the President to assign the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start working on how to rebuild beaches and find ‘the best way to rebuild the beach to protect these towns’. President Obama cancelled his campaign appearances up to today but is staying in the public eye as commander of federal relief efforts. Yesterday he visited the American Red Cross headquarters - a short walk from the White House to commiserate with victims and encourage aid workers. ‘This is a tough time for millions of people,’ the President said. ‘But America is tougher.’ Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod said today that the President intends to resume campaigning tomorrow. Campaign officials say the President will make stops in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Boulder, Colorado. President Obama’s last campaign event was last Saturday in New Hampshire. He flew to Orlando on Sunday to attend a campaign rally on Monday with former President Bill Clinton but scrapped his campaign plans to return to Washington D.C. to monitor preparations for Superstorm Sandy. Still moving: A vehicle drives on a flooded street in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after Superstorm Sandy made landfall on Monday evening Sea crash: Boats clustered together at a marina in Brant Beach, on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore on Tuesday, a day after Superstorm Sandy blew across Devastation: A beachfront home is gutted in Manasquan, New Jersey, following the dramatic storm which caused havoc across the US East Coast No Halloween: This photo taken on Tuesday shows a store with 'Boo Sandy' and 'Trick or Treat?' writing on wooden boards in Atlantic City, New Jersey Wreckage: The remains of a boardwalk and other debris is washed ashore following Superstorm Sandy, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Monday Aid: Bill Johnson is helped by a friend to remove one of his kayaks from a pile of debris in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Ruined: People walk past debris in the area where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was destroyed, with the Showboat Casino in the background in Atlantic City Shock: People stand on a mound of construction dirt to view the area where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was destroyed by flooding in Atlantic City, New Jersey Amazed: Kim Johnson looks over the incredible destruction near her seaside apartment in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Smashed up: The damaged front of an auto repair shop on Atlantic Avenue is seen in the aftermath of Sandy's landfall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Shortly before it hit: Waves crash against a previously-damaged pier before landfall of Superstorm Sandy on Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey Dangerous: A journalist walks in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as Superstorm Sandy hit the seaside area and most of the US East Coast on Monday Mr Romney wavered in his strategy. First the campaign said he would skip a rally in Ohio yesterday out of sympathy for the storm victims. Then Mr Romney decided to do the event but recast it as a storm-relief effort, shorn of the usual campaign speech. ‘It's part of the American spirit, the American way, to give to people in need,’ Mr Romney said in Kettering, Ohio, before supporters lined up to hand him bags of canned food for storm victims. Adding to Mr Romney's dilemma are the candidate's previous statements on the federal government's role in emergency management. He said he believes state and local governments should have primary responsibility for emergency clean-up. Mr Romney refused yesterday to answer repeated questions from reporters about what he would do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency if he wins the election. 'A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period' Spokesman for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney Asked about federal aid to help recover and rebuild from Sandy, a spokesman said: ‘A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period.’ For President Obama, missing a few days of active campaigning for vital presidential duties may be a good trade, politically speaking. Lingering anger about President George W. Bush's performance when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 could provide a backdrop to benefit President Obama if he does a solid job. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, of the University of Pennsylvania, said a natural disaster gives a president ‘unlimited access to the media to say things the public wants and needs to hear in a fashion that reinforces that he is president.’ For President Obama, the federal response to the natural disaster could make or break his bid for a second term. His reputation could suffer if the federal government's response is feeble or botched. Collapse: Beach houses are left destroyed in the Bell Harbor community after Sandy inundated the Rockaway Peninsular in the borough of Queens, New York Response: Firefighters try to put out blazes at Breezy Point on Tuesday in Queens, New York. A fire broke out in the flooded community late on Monday night Pointing: Two men look at damage in the Breezy Point area of Queens, New York, on Tuesday after fire destroyed about 80 homes as a result of Superstorm Sandy Taking cover: The scene at 130th St and Newport Ave in Rockaway, Queens, New York, where many houses were burned down after Superstorm Sandy hit the area Destruction: A beach house is left destroyed in the Bell Harbor community after Superstorm Sandy inundated the Rockaway Peninsular in Queens, New York Little left: Beachfront properties in Rockaway, Queens, New York, where many houses were destroyed after Superstorm Sandy hit the area Throught the wreckage: After Superstorm Sandy hit New York, extensive damage and flooding was apparent throughout the city. Breezy Point in Queens is pictured While President Obama and Mr Romney moved cautiously yesterday, their campaigns exchanged sharp words in Ohio and expanded their operations into three Democratic-leaning states. Mr Romney's campaign is running ads in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, and a pro-Romney group is doing the same in Michigan. The three states were considered fairly safe for President Obama, but his campaign is taking the threat seriously. It sent former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota yesterday and it is buying airtime in all three states. Support: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a prominent supporter of Mr Romney and a frequent critic of the President The Republican efforts could indicate that Mr Romney is desperately searching for a last-minute path to victory without all-important Ohio, where polls show President Obama has a slight edge. Or it could mean just the opposite, that Mr Romney's so confident in the most competitive battlegrounds that he's pressing for insurance against President Obama in what's expected to be a close race. Or perhaps the Republican simply has money to burn. Use it now or never. The U.S. president is chosen not by the nationwide popular vote but in state-by-state contests. That has made a handful of states whose voters are neither reliably Republican nor Democratic the focus of the November 6 election, expected to be one of the closest in U.S. history. Ohio and Florida are prominent among those, and no Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio. In a sign that Ohio looms large for the Romney campaign: a guest-filled rally in suburban Cincinnati is planned for Friday to kick off the campaign's final four days. Set to join Mr Romney and running mate Paul Ryan are golf legend Jack Nicklaus, ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Texas Governor Rick Perry and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Vice President Joe Biden planned to campaign today in Florida. Mr Ryan was scheduled to campaign in his home state, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Democratic groups bitterly complained about a TV ad the Romney camp is running in the Toledo and Youngstown areas of Ohio. The ad suggests that Jeep will move its Toledo car-making facility to China, a claim Jeep executives deny. Democrats called the ad a brazen lie and a sign of desperation. Even some Republicans worried that Mr Romney has gone too far in a state where voters follow the auto industry closely. ‘It's the kind of thing that happens late in the campaign, when everybody's tired and you're not quite yourself,’ said GOP pollster and strategist Mike McKenna, who does not work for the Romney campaign. ‘It didn't help. But I don't think it's a big thing. At this point, everybody has made up their mind.’ ONE YEAR AGO: OBAMA AND CHRISTIE PICTURED TOURING DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE IRENE IN NEW JERSEY All smiles: Political rivals Chris Christie (left) and Barack Obama (right) were pictured together last September after Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey Barack Obama and Chris Christie were memorably pictured together one year ago when the President toured damage caused by Hurricane Irene. They looked like best friends, sharing a warm embrace and laughing in New Jersey - with the meeting coming at a time when Governor Christie was under pressure to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Governor Christie won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the following clean-up after Irene, which hit last August. He made what became a famous quote, after his frustration came through after seeing people surfing on the beach in TV interviews. 'Get the hell off the beach,' he told surfers in a press conference that was replayed on news programmes around the US. Governor Christie announced last October that he would not run for president against Mitt Romney, after weeks of speculation that he might reverse his long-held stance of staying out of the 2012 race. 'This is not the time to leave unfinished business,' Governor Christie said at the time. 'New Jersey - whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me'. Surveying the damage: Governor Christie (left) won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the following clean-up in New Jersey after Irene 1 Storm surge laps at beachfront houses near Dewey Beach, Del., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Luke Sharrett/The New York Times) # 2 Flood waters reach the corner of Canal St. and Hudson St. on October 29, 2012 in New York City. A large part of Manhatten below 26th St. has lost power reportedly because of flooding. (Photo by Preston Rescigno/Getty Images) # 3 Bailey the dog is walked along the beach at Cape May, N.J., on Sunday. The computer models forecasting the track of Hurricane Sandy over the next three days are converging upon a landing around southern New Jersey that could create record coastal flooding and a big enough storm surge that state and local officials have ordered mandatory and voluntary evacuations along the coast from Delaware to Connecticut. (Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times) # 4 A man watches the waves in New York Harbor from Battery Park during the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012 in New York City. The core of Sandy's force is supposed to hit the New York area Monday night. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) # 5 People walk across Beach Ave. as flood waters from Hurricane Sandy rush in on October 29, 2012 in Cape May, New Jersey. Later today the full force of Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline bringing heavy winds and floodwaters. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) # 6 A wave crashes on a pier at Coney Island Beach in New York, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Robert Stolarik/The New York Times) # 7 A city truck drives through a flooded road in Lewes, Del., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Luke Sharrett/The New York Times) # 8 A car drives down a flooded street in Broad Channel as Hurricane Sandy begins to affect the area on October 29, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City's bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 9 Storm watcher Sandy O'Connor, left, waits for waves to crash over her at Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H., Oct. 29, 2012. The landfall of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that weather historians say is on a scale with little precedent along the East Coast, is expected to paralyze life for millions of people. (Cheryl Senter/The New York Times) # 10 Waves crash along a wall near the Costa-Azzurra Restaurant in Milford, Conn., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Christopher Capozziello/The New York Times) # 11 People walk past sandbags on a flooded street as Hurricane Sandy moves closer to the area on October 29, 2012 in the Red Hook section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) # 12 The Newark Liberty International Airport as Hurricane Sandy approaches in Newark, N.J., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times) # 13 Streets are under water as Hurricane Sandy approaches October 29, 2012 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall between Atlantic City and Cape May around 6p.m. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) # 14 Hurricane Sandy erodes the shore on October 29, 2012 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) # 15 A flooded road in East Haven, Conn., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Christopher Capozziello/The New York Times) # 16 A wave crashes onto a house before the arrival of Hurricane Sandy in Scituate, Massachusetts October 29, 2012. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi # 17 Houses are seen flooded along Lighthouse Road in Scituate, Massachusetts October 29, 2012. The monster storm bearing down on the East Coast, strengthened on Monday after hundreds of thousands moved to higher ground. REUTERS/Scott Eisen # 18 Trent Risley, 11, looks at power lines knocked down by Hurricane Sandy in Scituate, Massachusetts October 30, 2012. Millions of people across the eastern United States awoke on Tuesday to scenes of destruction wrought by monster storm Sandy, which knocked out power to huge swathes of the nation's most densely populated region, swamped New York's subway system and submerged streets in Manhattan's financial district. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi # 19 Ocean waves kick up near homes along Peggoty Beach in Scituate, Mass. Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) # 20 A young boy runs along Rockaway Beach as Hurricane Sandy begins to affect the area on October 29, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City's bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 21 Waves pick up on the East River ahead of Hurricane Sandy on the east side of Manhattan on October 29, 2012 in New York City. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean is predicted to bring heavy winds and floodwaters to the mid-Atlantic region. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images) # 22 People brave high winds and flooding while waves crash over the barriers along Winthrop Shore Drive as Hurricane Sandy comes up the coast on October 29, 2012 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow to a wide area on the U.S. East Coast. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) # 23 People brave high winds and waves along Winthrop Shore Drive as Hurricane Sandy comes up the coast on October 29, 2012 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow to a wide area on the U.S. East Coast. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images) # 24 Firefighters look up at a partially-collapsed crane hanging from a residential tower under construction ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy in New York, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy grew stronger before dawn on Monday as it churned northward through the Atlantic Ocean en route to what forecasters agreed would be a devastating landfall, possibly within 100 miles of New York City. (Michael Appleton/The New York Times) # 25 Fallen trees and power lines on a street in the Queens borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. The landfall of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that weather historians say is on a scale with little precedent along the East Coast, is expected to paralyze life for millions of people. (Uli Seit/The New York Times) # 26 A fallen tree in Ridgewood, N.J., Oct. 29, 2012. The landfall of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that weather historians say is on a scale with little precedent along the East Coast, is expected to paralyze life for millions of people. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times) # 27 Ocean Avenue is flooded caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 29, 2012 in Cape May, The New Jersey coastline is feeling the full force of Sandy's heavy winds and record floodwaters. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) # 28 A reporter broadcasts from a hotel balcony as massive breakers roll in on the beach behind him at Rehoboth Beach, Del., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy churned through the Atlantic Ocean on Monday on the way to carving what forecasters agreed would be a devastating path on land that is expected to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states. (Luke Sharrett/The New York Times) # 29 Waves crash on shore at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach in the Staten Island borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy churned through the Atlantic Ocean on Monday on the way to carving what forecasters agreed would be a devastating path on land that is expected to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states. (Michael Kirby Smith/The New York Times) # 30 People gathered near the Little Red Lighthouse at Jeffrey's Hook in Fort Washington Park in New York, Oct. 29, 2012. The landfall of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that weather historians say is on a scale with little precedent along the East Coast, is expected to paralyze life for millions of people. (Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times) # 31 Waves crash on shore at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach in the Staten Island borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy churned through the Atlantic Ocean on Monday on the way to carving what forecasters agreed would be a devastating path on land that is expected to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states. (Michael Kirby Smith/The New York Times) # 32 A tree rests on Mike and Kelle Barry's home in Annapolis, Md., Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy churned through the Atlantic Ocean on Monday on the way to carving what forecasters agreed would be a devastating path on land that is expected to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states. (Matt Roth/The New York Times) # 33 Fire fighters evaluate the scene of an apartment building which had the front wall collapse due to Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012 in New York, United States. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) # 34 Victor Concepcion stands on a trash can above floodwaters in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy churned through the Atlantic Ocean on Monday on the way to carving what forecasters agreed would be a devastating path on land that is expected to paralyze life for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states. (Kirsten Luce/The New York Times) # 35 Power outage seen on October 29, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the Mid-Atlantic area of the United States, is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City bus, subway and commuter rail services as of Sunday evening. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 36 A view of parts of Manhattan without power seen from a flooded area of waterfront in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Robert Stolarik/The New York Times) # 37 Water rushes into the Carey Tunnel (previously the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel), caused by Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012, in the Financial District of New York, United States. Hurricane Sandy, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City will bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) # 38 Vehicles sit submerged in flood waters outside a police precinct on Avenue C in the Manhattan borough of New York, Oct. 29, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Michael Appleton/The New York Times) # 39 Sections of an old boardwalk are seen destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) # 40 People come out to see the heavy surf that was caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Cape May, New Jersey. The New Jersey coastline felt the full force of Sandy's heavy winds resulting in record floodwaters and power cuts as US President Barack Obama declared the situation a "major disaster" for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) # 41 Destroyed sections of an an old boardwalk are seen in an area that flooded by the beach on October 30, 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) # 42 Resident Kim Johnson inspects the area around her apartment building which flooded and destroyed large sections of an old boardwalk, on October 30, 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Johnson fled the area when the water began to rise yesterday. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) # 43 A couple walks in the rain as a darkened Manhattan is viewed after much of the city lost electricity due to the affects of Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in New York, United States. At least 15 people were reported killed in the United States by Sandy as millions of people in the eastern United States have awoken to widespread power outages, flooded homes and downed trees. New York City was his especially hard with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) # 44 A flooded street in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn is viewed after the city awakens to the affects of Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in New York, United States. At least 15 people were reported killed in the United States by Sandy as millions of people in the eastern United States have awoken to widespread power outages, flooded homes and downed trees. New York City was his especially hard with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) # 45 Cars floating in a flooded subterranean basement following Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) # 46 A bicyclist stands in flood waters at a water taxi dock in New York, Oct. 30, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Marcus Yam/The New York Times) # 47 The Manhattan skyline is from the Central Park Reservoir the morning after Hurricane Sandy October 30, 2012 in New York City. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images) # 48 A construction crane hangs off of the side of One57 (L), seen from Central Park on October 30, 2012 in New York City. The crane was blown loose from the residential construction project during Hurricane Sandy. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images) # 49 Using two car lights and flash lights, a deli remained open for business as power was out in the neighborhood, at 1 a.m. at the corner of 2nd Avenue and East 9th Street, in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York, Oct. 30, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times) # 50 The aftermath of flooding following Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) # 51 A flooded Brooklyn Battery park Tunnel October 30, 2012 as New Yorkers clean up the morning after Hurricane Sandy's landfall. The death toll from super storm Sandy has risen to 16 in the mainland United States and Canada, and was expected to climb further as several people were still missing, officials said Tuesday. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina reported 15 dead from the massive storm system, and Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARYTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images # 52 This image provided by the US Coast Guard shows The HMS Bounty, a 180-foot sailboat, is shown submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy, approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina, October 29, 2012. Of the 16-person crew, the Coast Guard rescued 14, recovered a woman and is searching for the captain of the vessel. The crew abandoned the 55-meter (180-foot) three-mast ship, built in 1960 for the film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando that came out two years later, before it sank in the fierce seas, its owner said. This voyage, with the ship's permanent, paid crew, left from Connecticut last week and had been due to arrive in Florida on November 10. The ship was off the coast of North Carolina when it radioed in a distress call October 28. AFP PHOTO / Petty Officer 2nd Class Tim Kuklewski-US COAST GUARD # 53 A sailboat smashes on the rocks after breaking free from its mooring on City Island October 29, 2012 in New York. Hurricane Sandy's winds picked up speed as the storm made a left turn toward the East Coast. AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT # 54 People walk on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, on October 29, 2012 as Hurricane Sandy nears landfall in the area. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON # 55 People walk through water on the beach near the time of high tide as Hurricane Sandy approaches October 29, 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy drove a deadly tidal surge into coastal cities along the eastern US coast and pushed storm-force winds, torrential rain and heavy snow deep inland. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA # 56 In this handout GOES satellite image provided by NASA, Hurricane Sandy, pictured at 1255 UTC, moves inland across the mid-Atlantic region on October 30, 2012 in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images) # 57 This CCTV photo released by the official Twitter feed of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey shows flood waters from Hurricane Sandy rushing in to the Hoboken PATH station through an elevator shaft on October 29, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Monster storm Sandy swept a wall of churning sea water and driving rain onto the eastern United States, flooding major cities and leaving death and chaos in its wake. AFP PHOTO / The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey # 58 Water floods a street in October 30, 2012 in lower Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 59 Water floods the Plaza Shops in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York.The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 60 Heavy surf caused by Hurricane Sandy buckles Ocean Ave on October 30, 2012 in Avalon, New Jersey. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) # 61 The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is flooded after a tidal surge caused by Hurricane Sandy, on October 30, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City, with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) # 62 People look at destruction in South Street Seaport October 30, 2012 as New Yorkers clean up the morning after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. The storm left large parts of New York City without power and transportation. The death toll from super storm Sandy has risen to 16 in the mainland United States and Canada, and was expected to climb further as several people were still missing, officials said Tuesday. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina reported 15 dead from the massive storm system, and Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY # 63 A fallen tree which damaged a house is seen across a sidewalk in the wake of Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the northwest of Washington. At least 13 people were killed in the United States and Canada as the storm roared ashore late Monday, pounding several major cities with heavy rain and hurricane-force winds that toppled trees and ripped down power lines. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN # 64 The Battery Park Underpass submerged by floodwaters in New York, Oct. 30, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Michael Appleton/The New York Times) # 65 Members of a New York Police Department tactical team rescue Haley Rombi, 3, in the Dongon Hills neighborhood of the Staten Island borough of New York, Oct. 30, 2012. As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from storm surges and their devastating effects. (Michael Kirby Smith/The New York Times) # 66 Members of the New York Police Department survey flooding in the Whitehall Street subway station in the Manhattan borough of New York, Oct. 30, 2012. Hurricane Sandy moved inland Tuesday after grinding life to a halt for millions of people in more than a half-dozen states, leaving behind the daunting task of cleaning up. (Damon Winter/The New York Times) # -
President takes one-hour helicopter tour over Atlantic Coast, viewing flooded homes and wrecked buildings -
Superstorm Sandy has claimed lives of at least 55 people on US East Coast with New Jersey and NYC badly affected -
Obama skips campaign events in battleground states in favour of visit to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's state -
Gov Christie: 'We've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do together. This is what New Jerseyans are built for' -
Obama to return to campaign trail on Thursday with trips to Green Bay, Wisconsin; Boulder, Colorado; and Las Vegas President Obama comforted tearful residents today when he visited a stretch of the New Jersey coast devastated by Superstorm Sandy, seeing for himself how the disaster has wrecked buildings and forced thousands to abandon their flooded homes. The President revised his election campaigning plans and travelled to Atlantic City to get an aerial view of the widespread damage caused by the storm. He was joined on the presidential helicopter, Marine One, for the one-hour tour by Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has put partisan politics aside in the wake of the disaster. Scroll down for videos Reassurance: President Barack Obama (left) hugs marine owner Donna Vanzant (right) during a tour of Brigantine, New Jersey, which was badly affected by Sandy Aerial view: The President saw how homes in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, have become surrounded by water after Superstorm Sandy lashed the Atlantic Coast Ripped apart: During the helicopter tour, the President was shown how Superstorm Sandy tore away part of the Mantoloking Bridge in New Jersey Up in the air: The Marine One helicopter, carrying President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, takes an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast in New Jersey 'I want to let you know that your governor is working overtime,' Obama told victims at an emergency shelter after the tour. 'The entire country has been watching what's been happening. Everybody knows how hard Jersey has been hit.' Christie said: 'It's really important to have the president of the United States here.' Obama returned the compliment. The politicians' meeting came as people in the heavily populated US East Coast corridor battered by Sandy took the first cautious steps to reclaim their upended daily routines, even as rescuers combed neighbourhoods strewn with debris and scarred by floods and fire. By Tuesday night, the winds and flooding inflicted by the fast-weakening Sandy had subsided, leaving at least 55 people dead along the Atlantic Coast and splintering beachfront homes and boardwalks from the mid-Atlantic states to southern New England. The storm later moved across Pennsylvania on a predicted path toward western New York State and Canada. At the height of the disaster, more than 8.2 million customers lost electricity - some as far away as Michigan. Nearly a quarter of those without power were in New York, where lower Manhattan's usually bright lights remained dark for a second night. Christie, who is a vocal supporter of GOP nominee Mitt Romney, has changed his partisan tune after the storm, regularly singing Obama’s praises in relation to the federal aid given toward disaster relief support. ‘The president has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency),’ Christie told the Today Show on Tuesday. Christie later told news anchor Soledad O’Brien that Obama ‘has been incredibly supportive and helpful to our state, and not once did he bring up the election.’ Christie continued his new tact of effusively praising President Obama and the work that the federal government is doing in response to the hurricane, saying that the two spent a ‘significant’ afternoon together touring the Jersey Shore in Marine One. ‘I cannot thank the president enough for his concern,’ Christie said at the 5pm press conference. ‘The president has been all over this and he deserves great credit.’ The governor said that the two have put their partisan differences aside and had spoken six times including their afternoon-long trip today. ‘It has been a great working relationship to make sure that we are doing the jobs that the people elected us to do,’ Christie said of Obama. ‘I am pleased to report that he has sprung into action immediately while we were in the car together.’ The President was slightly more reserved with his praise, as he kept the majority of his remarks focused on the efforts of FEMA and ways for those who lost homes from the storm rather than his political rival. ‘Governor Christie has been responsive aggressive, making sure the state got out in front of this incredible storm,’ Obama said. During his introduction, Christie, known for his brash demeanor, said that he forgave residents of Brigantine for not following his order to ‘get the hell out’ before the storm hit Monday night. (He jokingly said ‘you’re forgiven this time.’) Obama made a reference to the colorful language, turning back to give the Governor a smile during the remark. The President pledged to streamline the federal funding process, explaining that he has instituted a so-called 15 minute rule for his team, meaning that if a mayor, state politician, or governor calls them, they have to respond with firm answers in a matter of minutes. ‘We are not going to tolerate red tape,’ he said. ‘When you see neighbors helping neighbors you’re reminded of what America’s all about. ‘We’re going to have a ton of work to do. I don’t want anyone thinking that this will be cleaned up overnight. We want to make sure people have realistic expectations. Support: President Obama holds North Point Marina owner Donna Vanzant close as he tours damage done by Superstorm Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (left) stands with them Walkabout: President Barack Obama talks to a resident as he tours a neighborhood effected by Superstorm Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey Walking with with him are two Democrat senators, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez Tour over: President Obama waves as he follows Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate on to Air Force One at Atlantic City International Airport at the end of his visit to New Jersey Shopping carts full of food damaged by Storm Sandy await disposal at the Fairway supermarket in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn in New York Jackie Hoey inspects the first floor of her home which experienced heavy flooding due to Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, New York Gary Silberman surveys his home that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in Lindenhurst, New York Engulfed: A collapsed house along the central Jersey Shore coast What Obama saw: This aerial photograph of storm damage in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was taken from a helicopter travelling behind Marine One Aftermath: Another view of the damage to Seaside Heights, New Jersey, taken from a helicopter travelling behind the aircraft carrying President Obama Bearing the brunt: The President took the helicopter tour to see for himself how homes in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, were destroyed in the storm Battered: The President was shown the damage to this amusement park at Seaside Heights, New Jersey, as he toured the area by helicopter Lifted: A row of beach homes rest off their foundations after Superstorm Sandy came ashore near Asbury Park, New Jersey Topsy-turvy: Part of a home rests upside-down in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, one of the areas worst affected by Superstorm Sandy Broken in two: Another view of the top of a house which was torn apart when Superstorm Sandy struck Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The rest of the property was found some way away from its original spot, sitting in the middle of a street Chaotic: Streets in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, are covered with fallen power lines and debris following heavy damage by Superstorm Sandy Major problem: Emergency workers attend homes heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. A van is stuck under debris in the foreground Electioneering: The name 'Romney' is spelled out in sand during an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast being taken by President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Crossing the political divide: Barack Obama comforts the New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie, a Mitt Romney supporter who has sung the President's praises since Superstorm Sandy struck Tour: Barack Obama is greeted by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as he arrives in Atlantic City to inspect damage caused by Superstorm Sandy Joint effort: The President was joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate (right) as he met the Republican New Jersey Governor (left), who has put party politics aside after the storm caused widespread damage Visit: President Obama, flanked by Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate (right) and New Jersey governor Chris Christie (left) prepare to take an aerial tour of the Atlantic Coast to view areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy Political gamble: Rather than using the election campaign's final Wednesday to woo voters in swing states, the President flew to New Jersey to see the devastation On his way: The shadow of Air Force One is seen as it approaches Atlantic City International Airport before the President's helicopter tour of the devastated region ‘We will not quit… We don’t leave anybody behind.’ New Jersey was one of the hardest-hit in Monday night’s storm, and power outages in the state’s two biggest cities - Newark and Jersey City - have prevented progress, as traffic lights remain out of action. The visit came after the President’s second visit to FEMA headquarters for an update on federal progress. Obama took a motorcade to FEMA's offices in D.C. to meet with agency chiefs before the flight to Atlantic City to meet with Sandy's victims and relief workers. 'This is a tough time for millions of people. But America is tougher' US President Barack Obama Days before the election, the President has kept up a steady public presence overseeing the storm response, while cancelling a series of public campaign rallies. It was Obama's second visit in four days with the agency. On Sunday, he met FEMA officials, then told reporters the government will ‘respond big and respond fast’ after the massive storm made landfall. The President also paid a visit to the headquarters of the Red Cross on Tuesday, saying he wanted ‘no bureaucracy, no red tape’ to interfere with recovery, and suggested the military might be able to help in view of the enormity of the damage. ‘This is a tough time for millions of people ... But America is tougher,’ he said. The speed of their response has prompted criticism from Michael ‘heckuva job’ Brown, the former FEMA director who was roundly criticized for the agency’s response to the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. ‘One thing (President Obama’s) gonna be asked is, why did he jump on (Sandy) so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when (after) Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas? Why was this so quick?’ Brown told a Denver news station. Destroyed: An aerial view of the Breezy Point neighbourhood in New York, where more than 50 homes were burned to the ground as a result of Superstorm Sandy Burned down: Residents living in the beachfront neighbourhood at Breezy Point, New York, were told to evacuate as Superstorm Sandy approached. When they returned, dozens of homes were gone Cloud of smoke: Debris smoulders as residents of Breezy Point in the Queens borough of New York assess the damage caused by a fire during Superstorm Sandy Nothing left: Tom Duffy (left) and his family look through the debris of his home which was destroyed in the fire Fire damage: Neighbors Lucille Dwyer (right) and Linda Strong (left) embrace after looking through the wreckage of their homes in Breezy Point, Queens, New York Distraught: A woman stares at the ground as she walks past damaged homes after the fire at Breezy Point in the Queens borough of New York Surveying the destruction: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (centre) views storm damage in the Breezy Point area of Queens after fire destroyed homes Exposed: This home in the Sea Gatee area of Brooklyn, New York, had one of its walls and part of its roof ripped off by the force of Superstorm Sandy Emptied: Residents take belongings out of a home in Sea Gate part of Brooklyn, New York, that was condemned after being damaged during Superstorm Sandy Meaningful: A damaged home in the Sea Gate part of Brooklyn, New York, bears the sign: 'The most important things in life... aren't things' After tamping down his partisan tone on Tuesday at an Ohio event that emphasised victims' relief, Mr Romney planned three full-blown campaign rallies today in Florida, the largest competitive state. Sandy largely spared Florida, so Mr Romney calculates he can campaign there without appearing callous. But President Obama’s revised schedule is also a political gamble. Rather than use the campaign's final Wednesday to woo voters in the tossup states that will decide the election, Obama decided to go before cameras with Christie. When Governor Christie stopped in Belmar, New Jersey, during a tour of the devastation, one woman wept openly and 42-year-old Walter Patrickis told him: ‘Governor, I lost everything.' Governor Christie, who called the shore damage‘unthinkable,’ said a full recovery would take months and it would likely be a week or more before power is restored to everyone who lost it. Water ride: John Okeefe walks on the beach as the rollercoaster that once sat on the Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, rests in the ocean No play: This US Air Force photo shows an aerial view of the rollercoaster from the Seaside Heights amusement park on the New Jersey shore submerged in surf Mangled: The rollercoaster was severely damaged as Superstorm Sandy destroyed the boardwalk and pier in Seaside Park, New Jersey Pet rescue: Olivia Loesner, 16, hugs her uncle, Deputy Fire Chief John Ruff, after she was brought from her flooded home in a boat in Little Ferry, New Jersey, Her mother, Janice Loesner, carries their dogs to safety in a basket Huge task: Workers try to clear boats and debris from the New Jersey Transit Morgan draw bridge in South Amboy, New Jersey, after the storm surge pushed them on to the train tracks ‘Now we've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do together. This is the kind of thing New Jerseyans are built for,’ he added. Governor Christie had said that he would ask the President to assign the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start working on how to rebuild beaches and find ‘the best way to rebuild the beach to protect these towns’. President Obama cancelled his campaign appearances up to today but is staying in the public eye as commander of federal relief efforts. ‘This is a tough time for millions of people,’ the President said. ‘But America is tougher.’ Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod said today that the President intends to resume campaigning on Thursday. Campaign officials say the President will make stops in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Boulder, Colorado. President Obama’s last campaign event was last Saturday in New Hampshire. He flew to Orlando on Sunday to attend a campaign rally on Monday with former President Bill Clinton but scrapped his campaign plans to return to Washington D.C. to monitor preparations for Superstorm Sandy. Mr Romney wavered in his strategy. First the campaign said he would skip a rally in Ohio on Tuesday out of sympathy for the storm victims. Then Mr Romney decided to do the event but recast it as a storm-relief effort, shorn of the usual campaign speech. Clean-up: Sanitation workers clear sand from streets in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York Wheels of misfortune: A BMW car was washed up on to a bench when Superstorm Sandy struck the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York Unusual picture: A woman takes a photograph of the car in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York Crushed: Freddie Nocella, Jr, looks at his grandfather's damaged Trans Am as he helps to salvage belongings from his grandparents' heavily damaged home in Babylon Village, New York Unbelievable: A woman looks at damage in the Rockaway neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where the historic boardwalk was washed away during Superstorm Sandy Stuck: A car is pictured on Wednesday, partially buried by sand that was washed ashore by Superstorm Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey All that's left: The foundations to the historic Rockaway boardwalk are all that remain after it was washed away during Superstorm Sandy in Brooklyn, New York Snap: A man takes a picture of a woman in front of a crumbled public bathroom following Superstorm Sandy, on Tuesday in Belmar, New Jersey Wrecked: A closer look at the collapsed properties in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, which President viewed from the air ‘It's part of the American spirit, the American way, to give to people in need,’ Mr Romney said in Kettering, Ohio, before supporters lined up to hand him bags of canned food for storm victims. Adding to Mr Romney's dilemma are the candidate's previous statements on the federal government's role in emergency management. He said he believes state and local governments should have primary responsibility for emergency clean-up. Mr Romney refused yesterday to answer repeated questions from reporters about what he would do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency if he wins the election. 'A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period' Spokesman for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney Asked about federal aid to help recover and rebuild from Sandy, a spokesman said: ‘A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period.’ For President Obama, missing a few days of active campaigning for vital presidential duties may be a good trade, politically speaking. Lingering anger about President George W. Bush's performance when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 could provide a backdrop to benefit President Obama if he does a solid job. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, of the University of Pennsylvania, said a natural disaster gives a president ‘unlimited access to the media to say things the public wants and needs to hear in a fashion that reinforces that he is president.’ For President Obama, the federal response to the natural disaster could make or break his bid for a second term. His reputation could suffer if the federal government's response is feeble or botched. Scenes from New Jersey: A man carries his wife through the floodwaters in Hoboken (left), and cars and vans are buried in sand on Long Beach Island (right) Unusual pile-up: An aerial photograph shows boats lying next to a house near Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, where they were washed ashore during Superstorm Sandy Resting place: A wider view shows dozens of damaged boats piled up by the house next to a marina close to Monmouth Beach, New Jersey On fire: This photo from the New Jersey Governor's Office shows damage north of Seaside, New Jersey, on Tuesday after Superstorm Sandy made landfall Severe damage: This picture provided by the US Coast Guard shows property damages along the New Jersey coast caused by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday Underwater: This picture provided shows flooded homes in Tuckerton, New Jersey, after Superstorm Sandy made landfall on the southern New Jersey coastline Flooding: A portion of Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, New Jersey was underwater after Superstorm Sandy blew across the state with devastating results BEFORE AND AFTER: THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF SUPERSTORM SANDY ON ATLANTIC CITY'S HOLIDAY HOMES These startling before-and-after pictures reveal what is left of parts of the East Coast. Just one solitary house was left standing on the east side of New Jersey's Mantoloking Bridge in Brick. Rows of Atlantic holiday homes were wiped out by the 900-mile storm with its surging waters and winds of 95mph. How it was: This image from Google Maps shows Mantoloking Bridge in Brick, New Jersey, before the devastation was caused by Superstorm Sandy. All but one of the houses in the highlighted area above were destroyed in the storm. The only one to still be standing is circled above Severe destruction: An aerial view from Greenpeace taken by Tim Aubry of the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy along the New Jersey coast in Brick Shock: Brian Hajeski, 41, of Brick, New Jersey, reacts as he looks at debris of a home that washed up on to the Mantoloking Bridge the morning after Superstorm Sandy Contenders: US President Barack Obama (left) talks about damage done by Hurricane Sandy and rescue efforts while at the National Red Cross HQ in Washington D.C. on Tuesday; while Republican candidate Mitt Romney loads relief supplies for people affected by Hurricane Sandy into a truck at a relief campaign event in Kettering, Ohio Speech: President Obama talks during his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross National HQ to discuss Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday Talks: President Barack Obama visits the FEMA headquarters following Hurricane Sandy in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Pictured with President Obama are (from second left to right) Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan From above: In this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image, the remnants of Tropical Sandy move across eastern America on Wednesday Gone: A boardwalk (left) and waterfront property are heavily damaged following Superstorm Sandy, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday Uprooted: This picture provided by the US Coast Guard shows property damage along the New Jersey coast caused by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday Changed landscape This photo from the New Jersey Governor's Office shows flooding on the bay side of Seaside, New Jersey, on Tuesday after Sandy made landfall Just still there: The damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast, in a photo taken during a search and rescue mission Extraordinary: Sand and debris covers the streets near the water in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after the area was wrecked by Superstorm Sandy Complete devastation: A lone piece of colour in a children's playground is pictured surrounded by sand and debris near the ocean in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Rubble: A toy truck sits among the post-Superstorm Sandy destruction on Tuesday in the devastated Atlantic City in New Jersey Rebuild project: A man in a hooded jacket and jeans walks past debris left by the floodwater from Superstorm Sandy on Tuesday in Hoboken, New Jersey No sales: A small shop that rents personal water craft rests in a huge sinkhole on the bayside in Ocean City, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after a storm surge On the rails: This photograph, provided by the state of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, shows a boat resting on the tracks at Metro-North's Ossining Station in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy Smashed: Captain Charles Bodien, Jr, posts a condemned sign on a summer camp at Webster Lake in Franklin, New Hampshire, after a tree crashed down on it Destitute: In this U.S. Coast Guard photo, a helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, observe property damage in New Jersey caused by Sandy Misery on the beachfront: This aerial photograph provided by the U.S. Air Force shows how the storm left homes on the New Jersey shoreline surrounded by water What to do? Zelphia Connor stands outside her garage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday, damaged by pieces of the boardwalk that Superstorm Sandy broke Still moving: A vehicle drives on a flooded street in Little Ferry, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after Superstorm Sandy made landfall on Monday evening Sea crash: Boats clustered together at a marina in Brant Beach, on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore on Tuesday, a day after Superstorm Sandy blew across Devastation: A beachfront home is gutted in Manasquan, New Jersey, following the dramatic storm which caused havoc across the US East Coast No Halloween: This photo taken on Tuesday shows a store with 'Boo Sandy' and 'Trick or Treat?' writing on wooden boards in Atlantic City, New Jersey Wreckage: The remains of a boardwalk and other debris is washed ashore following Superstorm Sandy, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Monday Aid: Bill Johnson is helped by a friend to remove one of his kayaks from a pile of debris in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Ruined: People walk past debris in the area where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was destroyed, with the Showboat Casino in the background in Atlantic City Shock: People stand on a mound of construction dirt to view the area where a 2,000ft section of the boardwalk was destroyed by flooding in Atlantic City, New Jersey Smashed up: The damaged front of an auto repair shop on Atlantic Avenue is seen in the aftermath of Sandy's landfall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday Collapse: Beach houses are left destroyed in the Bell Harbor community after Sandy inundated the Rockaway Peninsular in the borough of Queens, New York Response: Firefighters try to put out blazes at Breezy Point on Tuesday in Queens, New York. A fire broke out in the flooded community late on Monday night Pointing: Two men look at damage in the Breezy Point area of Queens, New York, on Tuesday after fire destroyed about 80 homes as a result of Superstorm Sandy Taking cover: The scene at 130th St and Newport Ave in Rockaway, Queens, New York, where many houses were burned down after Superstorm Sandy hit the area Destruction: A beach house is left destroyed in the Bell Harbor community after Superstorm Sandy inundated the Rockaway Peninsular in Queens, New York Little left: Beachfront properties in Rockaway, Queens, New York, where many houses were destroyed after Superstorm Sandy hit the area Throught the wreckage: After Superstorm Sandy hit New York, extensive damage and flooding was apparent throughout the city. Breezy Point in Queens is pictured Not moving: Lucy the Elephant is still standing, seemingly unscathed on Tuesday after Superstorm Sandy blew across the area along New Jersey shore While President Obama and Mr Romney moved cautiously yesterday, their campaigns exchanged sharp words in Ohio and expanded their operations into three Democratic-leaning states. Mr Romney's campaign is running ads in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, and a pro-Romney group is doing the same in Michigan. The three states were considered fairly safe for President Obama, but his campaign is taking the threat seriously. It sent former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota yesterday and it is buying airtime in all three states. Support: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a prominent supporter of Mr Romney and a frequent critic of the President The Republican efforts could indicate that Mr Romney is desperately searching for a last-minute path to victory without all-important Ohio, where polls show President Obama has a slight edge. Or it could mean just the opposite, that Mr Romney's so confident in the most competitive battlegrounds that he's pressing for insurance against President Obama in what's expected to be a close race. Or perhaps the Republican simply has money to burn. Use it now or never. The U.S. president is chosen not by the nationwide popular vote but in state-by-state contests. That has made a handful of states whose voters are neither reliably Republican nor Democratic the focus of the November 6 election, expected to be one of the closest in U.S. history. Ohio and Florida are prominent among those, and no Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio. In a sign that Ohio looms large for the Romney campaign: a guest-filled rally in suburban Cincinnati is planned for Friday to kick off the campaign's final four days. Set to join Mr Romney and running mate Paul Ryan are golf legend Jack Nicklaus, ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Texas Governor Rick Perry and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Vice President Joe Biden planned to campaign today in Florida. Mr Ryan was scheduled to campaign in his home state, Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Democratic groups bitterly complained about a TV ad the Romney camp is running in the Toledo and Youngstown areas of Ohio. The ad suggests that Jeep will move its Toledo car-making facility to China, a claim Jeep executives deny. Democrats called the ad a brazen lie and a sign of desperation. Even some Republicans worried that Mr Romney has gone too far in a state where voters follow the auto industry closely. ‘It's the kind of thing that happens late in the campaign, when everybody's tired and you're not quite yourself,’ said GOP pollster and strategist Mike McKenna, who does not work for the Romney campaign. ‘It didn't help. But I don't think it's a big thing. At this point, everybody has made up their mind.’ ONE YEAR AGO: OBAMA AND CHRISTIE PICTURED TOURING DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE IRENE IN NEW JERSEY All smiles: Political rivals Chris Christie (left) and Barack Obama (right) were pictured together last September after Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey Barack Obama and Chris Christie were memorably pictured together one year ago when the President toured damage caused by Hurricane Irene. They looked like best friends, sharing a warm embrace and laughing in New Jersey - with the meeting coming at a time when Governor Christie was under pressure to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Governor Christie won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the following clean-up after Irene, which hit last August. He made what became a famous quote, after his frustration came through after seeing people surfing on the beach in TV interviews. 'Get the hell off the beach,' he told surfers in a press conference that was replayed on news programmes around the US. Governor Christie announced last October that he would not run for president against Mitt Romney, after weeks of speculation that he might reverse his long-held stance of staying out of the 2012 race. 'This is not the time to leave unfinished business,' Governor Christie said at the time. 'New Jersey - whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me'. Surveying the damage: Governor Christie (left) won major plaudits for his authoritative command of preparations and the following clean-up in New Jersey after Irene |