In late October, 2012 Superstorm Sandy swept through New England and resulted in a lot of damage for the people living on the East Coast. According to the US Department of Energy, eight million people were left without water or power and tens of thousands lost their homes. The residents of New Jersey were hit the hardest by the hurricane, which swept the shoreline and went on to affect twenty-three other states in the area before it died out a few weeks later. Since then, the remodeling and various construction projects taking place on the East Coast are bringing life back to the area.
Though each of us at BeachHouse.com was shocked to learn about catastrophic damage in places like the Jersey Shore, we were pleased to hear that recovery is going quickly. Thanks to donations from the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, many of the people who had lost their homes are now able to rebuild on their previous foundations. We spoke to many of the vacation owners that use our website over the phone and asked how Sandy had affected the homes in their areas. Our clients mostly responded by explaining that the storm was concentrated in the Northern regions of New Jersey, such as Essex County, but had thankfully left areas such as Long Beach Island more or less untouched. “They actually did pretty well to be honest with you,” said David Deleo, a vacation specialist at Bayshore Realty, in regards to the company’s rental properties. In order to assess any potential damage the storm may have caused when passing through the state, he explained that they had a poll to see which homes had fallen in the storm’s path. Fortunately, the results were mostly positive: “Long Beach Island did good. There was some damage; people are fixing things and proceeding forward.”
After Sandy, many assumed that the Jersey Shore would undoubtedly be shut down for the upcoming vacation season. The houses that had the least amount of damage in October are being revamped and are expected to open up again in time for the end of the summer rush. And in order to attract even more people to the area, vacation owners are offering special discounts on their properties. Now, vacationers from all over are competing to stay in the limited number of open spots currently available on the East Coast. This turn of events is making it increasingly difficult for vacationers to be able to go back to their favorite spots on Long Beach Island. The combination of more-than-affordable prices and a decrease in space is resulting in fewer options for everyone hesitating to book their homes before Spring. There is an increase in the chance that those who take longer to decide where and when to rent are less likely to get what they’re looking for!
The folks at Bayshore are excited to see vacationers this year, and our proud of the recovery in New Jersey. If this is your first time booking a vacation in New Jersey, this is the perfect time to inquire so you can see the recovery firsthand! Not to mention the fact that everything is more affordable as all vacation-related businesses are trying their hardest to please anyone willing to travel to Jersey in hopes that their businesses stay strong and each sequential year will be better than ever! The increase in tourism will help boost the state’s economy and help restore things back to the way they were before Sandy so that eventually, what started out as a disaster will only be the prequel to a great story about recovery!