over the eastern seaboard gave ato sunshine today, but the dark mood over parts of new york and new jersey persists. the death toll up to at least 50. more than 6 million homes, including 4 million in new york and new jersey, remain without power at this hour. president obama got a firsthand look at the damage today. >> the stock exchange running on generator power came back to life. the mayor gave a thumbs up and rang the opening bell to the sound of cheers. >> and more troubles. this is the scene in the coastal community of seaside heights, new jersey, where hundreds of homes were knocked off their foundations. >> and this is the scene near bayhead, new jersey, a community under water there and cut off as the atlantic ocean merged with another waterway. homes, once million-dollar homes, now worthless. we get the latest from new jersey and jay gray. >> reporter: good evening. this is the kind of devastation that hundreds of thousands are working through right now, the start of what is sure to be a long and very difficult recovery. the images are overwhelming. the sheer scope of the disast

new jersey. it is beautiful beachfront area so hard hit. rick, what can you tell us today? >> reporter: martha the sun peeking out for first time in more than 24 hours. we're getting first look at widespread devastation along the new jersey coastline including some of these beachfront homes which in some cases lost sections of wall. in this case you can see into the living room in this house. the beach is in their living room. this is the case up and down the coast. i want to take a walk this way. ocean avenue was inundated. power was out all day and night. there is a foot or more of sand covering most of the roads here. in this coastal community. this may not be unexpected but it was certainly horrific. our hotel, you can see is sort of an island in this storm. the water was completely surrounding the hotel. two to three feet deep on the roads out here. it was a pretty rough night with very, very high winds. and the cleanup is going to be massive, martha. martha: those homes are now part of the

we're getting new video in from new jersey. aptures in a powerful way so much of the damage we have been covering since yesterday and today. look at these new images. we'll get more for you. plus, a number of people still trapped in atlantic city, and there's a word war going on between the mayor of atlantic city and governor chris christie of new jersey. sadly caught in the middle are thes are of atlantic city, one of the areas hit hardest by the storm. the storm has forced scott brown and elizabeth warren to call off their final debate. we'll have a live report from boston. the only way to firm ski? challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist.

and new to new jersey where rick was in pleasant beach, new jersey. my guess, rick, you have ridden out 30, maybe 40 hurricanes and it is my understanding that even rick was scared last night. >>guest: well, that is true. it brings me back to hurricane hugo in charleston, south carolina, in 1989. that was my most frightening experience until last night when the hotel was surrounded by water coming in over the dunes and breached the dune. this home, one of countless houses here in point pleasant that was damaged by sandy. there was a dune 6' to 8' high that is gone. what we are walking on is a couple of feet of sand that was on the beep, used to make the dunes and it all wanted this way into the town and covered the roads. we are making our way to ocean avenue, the main drag. can you see flood waters still here. a number of homes, dozens if not hundreds are dealing with flood waters. if you look to the south, you can see how bad ocean avenue is. there is furniture, debris, houses, emergency vehicles are struggling to make their way through that. look t

we've got new jersey national guard. we've got the new jersey state troopers. we've got toms river fire department coming right here. so we've got a major rescue operation. you saw what happened on the jersey shore. you saw how many homes were under water and how many people were stuck there that did not heed that warning. now, they are stuck over there, but i just want to end by showing you this one thing. talk about how big the debris is. this is the biggest piece of debris i've seen. a 30-foot boat that's not moored in the docks. it's here in the middle of the highway, lynn. >> that's an unbelievable sight. that puts it into perspective. dave, thank you so much, right there in toms river, new jersey. >>> nbc meteorologist bill karins has your weather channel forecast. bill, that's just surreal to see. all the images that we're seeing. >> you saw the images and everyone has their own personal story. you put it together and try to put a price tag on this. all of a sudden we're talking about one of our country's most expensive natural disasters. these are just e

to go to seaside, new jersey. that was hit hard by sandy, devastating coastline, homes were destroyed, boardwalk was destroyed. so the president has decided to go to new jersey to take a look at the devastation firsthand. and we'll have an updated report on 9news now beginning at 5:00. thank you so much for being with us.

. >> in ohio a quiet day as he helped with relief this as new jersey outspoken governor said that the storm clean up is top priority. >> at the moment i could care about election day. >> our special coverage starts right now. >>> thanks for joining us tonight on the news edge and the killer storm and the ripple affect is the big story tonight. we're going to start with tom and. >> it's correct no one is sure what impact this storm will have on how a big part of the country will vote or be able to vote. while maryland, delaware and new jersey are obama territory, how they conduct themselves now is a big thing tonight. >> we will start in washington as obama canceled the campaign appearances and opted to the head quarters of the red cross and asking to donate to the relief funds. >> there are communities that can be affected. there are risks of flooding and downed power lines and risk of high winds. >> in ohio meanwhile mitt gathered with supporters gathering items. he thanked the crowd. >> we have heavy hearts as you know with all the suffering that's going on and a lot of people hurti

. >>> new jersey's republican governor chris christie has a new best friend. president obama. >> hurricane sandy bearing down on the entire eastern seaboard. bearing down on 60 million people across at least a dozen states. from delaware to north carolina. new york and new jersey. >> this was a devastating storm. >> in atlantic city part of the famous boardwalk washed away. >> ground zero, flood water is rushing into the construction site. >> many homes completely covered. >> massive six-alarm fire in new york's borough of queens. >> 3 feet of snow in parts of west virginia. >> 7.8 million people without power. >> flights are canceled. subways are shutdown. >> the federal government is closed. the new york stock exchange is closed. >> we're a week from election day. >> just seven days to go. >> i don't give a damn about election day. >> this storm is not yet over. >> the president has been all over this. he deserves great credit. >> the election will take care of itself. >> i will tell you, this administration could give a damn less about election day. >> they

>>neil: in new jersey. the state...i don't know, if obama was offering help, i would take it. thank you, byron. the president is in atlantic city with governor chris christie and he should be speaking shortly, fema officials are there and other top officials. rick, what do you see there? rick: incredible devastation in this community and many more up and down the new jersey coastline this is one of hundreds of homes that was damaged, some of them destroyed. you can see in this guy's front door and see the pool table covered with several feet of ground. >>neil: i will come back do you, but, now, with the president. >> we are surveying the damage up and down the new jersey coastline, we want to show the president that personally, and i had an opportunity to see and discuss it at length, and, then, going over to the shelter here, being able to meet with folks and they can see the president and his concern, the concern all of us have. we have lots of challenges and our challenge is to get back to normalcy to ge

since sunday the worst of the damage is in new jersey and new york. the president is scheduled to survey the damage in new jersey tomorrow with republican governor chris christie. more than 6 million homes and businesses are still without power. half of those in new york and new jersey. some subway tunnels in new york are flooded. the city's subway system could be out for at least four days. commuter train tunnels connecting new jersey to manhattan are also flooded. that service will likely be out for at least a week. jfk and laguardia airports are closed, but newark airport has partially re-opened according to governor chris christie. the number of flights canceled is now more than 16,000. federal offices will be opening tomorrow in washington, d.c. there are plans also to get markets up and running on wall street tomorrow morning. in new jersey, the cost of the storm, according to the governor, is, quote, almost incalculable. speaking to reporters today, the governor said this. >> we want to make sure people have enough food and water for a while, w

in particular new jersey and new york.ried at this point if i were down ballot in one of those races. i think the presidential race in new jersey is going to go democratic, new york is going to go democratic, maryland is going to go democratic. virginia, they seem to have -- in fact i was talking to the governor last weekend, we have lots of plans in place, we can extend voting hours, we can do a lot of different things. so in total i don't know how much effect it has on the presidential race, but if you start to look at the down ballots in specific states where it's just the state vote and i think you're looking at some problems. >> yeah. what we saw today in new jersey was pretty amazing when you think about it. only days -- first of all, the destruction, but the president of the united states touring that area with the republican governor of new jersey chris christie in a watched -- they saw some of the sights we were showing our viewers right now. there were a few respective praise in there for each other amazing a few

what's happening in new jersey is going require a long, difficult slog going forward. we will continue to keep our ear on the questions and answers there. if there's any new information we will have it for you, and it could also be a day before stranded passengers can get to their destinations on flights. we have a lot more coming up and we'll keep you updated right here on msnbc. stop! stop! stop! come back here! humans -- we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back with great ideas like our optional better car replacement. if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call... and ask one of our insurance experts about it today. hello?! we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, and we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. [car alarm blaring] call now and also ask about our 24/7 support and service. call... and lock in your rate for 12 months today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? continues ri

in new jersey. the news initially was it won't get started back up for the next week or two and there was some hope it might start up sooner and the markets hailed off towards the end of the day. >> the bottom line is people cannot get gasoline all over new jersey, right? i was talking to someone earlier who was saying that the gas guys in one station they were taking advantage and changing the price all over the place. what is this doing to the market? >> well the real problem in new jersey is that there's no electricity so the gas pumps, they could have all the gasoline in the world in the tanks but if they can't get it out of the ground it's not doing anybody any good. it's really a big mess out there. they need utilities to combine with the locals to turn off electricity to clear the trees out of the streets and first get everything running again. if they don't have electricity they're not going to get the gasoline. people are running their houses on generators and the generators will run out of

he lives in short hills, new jersey. er coaster in seaside heights and now pictures from the park's better days, the amusement pier, it is a huge tourist draw to the jersey shore. any idea how much we're talking about, how much this is going to hurt new jersey's tourism economy? >> well, i'll tell you, it is a big deal if we don't recover because tourism is one of the top three industries for the state. and about three-quarters of the industry associated with the jersey shore. so we are closely trying to monitor what we know in terms of the full impact and the recovery process, but it is going to take a little time and it is really the big question of how fast we can ramp up for the next season, that is the peak season in the summer period of time. a little time to rebuild, but there will be lingering effects. >> so many small businesses. what is the recovery process? what kind of process is it? >> the recovery process unfortunately, even under the best case, ends up having scars. some of that is just the fact that busine

that is hoboken, new jersey. that would be across the hudson from new york city which is north of where you are. what have you done in hoboken? i'm reading a lots how you worked in there with large vehicles to help people there, sir? >> we have many vehicles out. actually we have over 150 high-wheeled vehicles as we like to refer them as, which can forge water and help residents, help local law enforcement and help local oems. not only in hoboken but along the jersey coast. bill: are you from new jersey. >> new jersey born and raised. bill: which town. >> i live in burlington county, have you been able to get out and see what happened to your shoreline? >> i have been out and about. bill: what have you seen? >> i've seen the same devastation that you've seen. bill: how has it hit you? >> listen, this is very emotional but in times like this, new jersey residents are resilient. as emotional as this is right now we know the sun will come out by week's end and we will start to rebuild. the shoreline may not be the sh

new jersey has a new boss.rink it. >> no teleprompter. >> no, teleprompter only messes me up. thank you. from new york. >> here you go buddy. would you take the picture? thank you for coming. nice spot, the jersey shore. >> thank you, governor. >> you can stay a little while longer. >> mrs. christie wants me home tonight. >> say hi to pam in michigan. >> pam, are you really in michigan? this is chris christie. how are you? good. get them all out to the polls on november 6, all right? make him work for it. >> you get all the pretty girls. sign your cast? absolutely right. >> you won the straw poll at the tea party convention. >> habla espanol? iquito.p thank you, buddy. >> will you kiss my baby? >> of course. excellent. you want to come to new jersey, don't you? i better get away before i push my luck. >> we want you to run for president. >> i got my hands full in new jersey. >> i hope you do run for president. hah hah hah >> see the final presidential debate monday night on c-span and c-span radio and c-span.or

which is shots of a ferry bringing workers from new jersey to lower manhattan. that since sandy hit new york and as we say not nearly as dramatic as a rooftop rescue but still carries some meaning as well. charlie, gayle, norah. >> jim axelrod, thanks. now to politics and the race important the white house. a new quinnipiac cbs "new york times" poll focus on three battleground states that could decide tuesday's presidential election. >> president obama leads governor romney in ohio. in virginia the president holds a two point lead. however his republican challenger has an edge with independent voters. and in florida governor romney has cut the president's nine-point advantage last month to just one-point. jan crawford is in tampa covering the romney campaign. jan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, norah. romney has been keeping a pretty low profile over the past couple of days as he's been trying to walk this fine line between maintaining a public presence while the east coast was guesting battered by hurricane sandy. but now we got six days left. h

the new jersey shore among the hardest hit where the governors of new jersey, chris christie, said that the damage there is absolutely unthinkable and the pictures from above are mindboggling. even as the storm moved north it did not spare maryland, delaware, washington, dc, or northern virginia. hundreds of thousands lost power. roads and bridges are closed. shore lines are battered. the storm then slammed into the big city and surrounding areas, a record surge of seawater coming in to the lower part of manhattan flooding the subways, the tunnels, the roads, everything below 34th street in new york city is without power, the bridges are back open, the subways may not be open for four or five days, the trains that go to new jersey, no one knows they were flooded up to the ceiling in some cases. the trains that lead to long island, no clouds. the city is paralyzed. in connecticut the storm damaged homes and millions of trees are down. some homes washed off their foundation. it caused damage and power outage in pennsylvania, in massachusetts, in new hampshire and in vermont. in all, eight

the mayor of newark, new jersey, is going to join us live ahighway. >>> plus news from the campaign that wasn't supposed to be a campaign today. that's all coming up. >>> we just were given a look for the first time of the portions of the jersey shore by state police helicopter. houses are moved off their foundations. there are houses in the middle of route 35. >> when sandy hits you expect to see damage along the coast. but the new jersey towns of little ferry and hackensack are several miles inland. but at 10:00 last night, the river came pouring into those to towns. joining us is katie. tell us what happened when the water came in there. i imagine it was very sudden and very scary. >> reporter: it came in within 15 minutes. there was no flooding and then six to ten feet high in most of these areas. they were saying that little ferry was 80% under water. we have a little bit of good news to report tonight. the power is back on in parts of this town, which is a shocking thing for everybody to see here. the street lights are on. some houses have power. the majority of this town is empty.

new jersey, new york in particular have been pounded by this storm. this is mostly a local responsibility and the private utilities are going to have to lean forward, but we are doing everything we can to provide them additional resources so that we can expedite getting power up and running in many of these communities. there are places like newark, new jersey, where you have 80% of the people without power. we can't have a situation where that lasts for days on end. and so my instructions to the federal agency has been do not figure out why we can't do something. i want you to figure out how we do something. >> the president referencing 80-90% of people without power. saying we can't have a situation where that lasts for days on end. that was the president this afternoon. new reports within the past hour that some of the president's wish there may have come true. the mayor of newark, new jersey, will be joining us later this hour on that subject. places like newark, new jersey, and jersey city and places entering into uncharted territory, not just fl

hardest hit is new jersey, new york and pennsylvania.eanwhile, the president of the united states asked mayor bloomburg, i would like to take a look at all of the damage and mayor bloomburg had a press conference and said we are flattered by the fact that the president of the united states would like to come and visit us, but not right now and we are really busy and the first responders need to pay to exeem put things back in order. it would be great if the president goes to new jersey and the president will tour the devastation with the chief executive new jersey chris christy. >> gretchen: when the president comes the city is shut down . the city can't have security detail and anything like that at all. but he will go to new jersey which is your home eric. >> i am trying to figure out why. i get it he wants to see the damage. please come can go and sign the check to help fema to sign over the money . chris christie was on saying that we have gotten acess to the funs we are going to need. i am not sure what touring the sight. >> steve:

we were sorry we stayed. >>> new jersey appears to have taken the brunt. the weather channel's dave malkoff is live for us in toms river, new jersey. one of the hfof the hardest hit. thanks for being with us. what's it look like this morning? >> good morning. you can see where we are right now. we are standing right next to a boat. but as we pull out, you can see the boat is nowhere near the marina. we're right in the middle of the highway. the 30-foot boat is just contained of sitting there. if you read the back, it says that it came from beachwood which is down about that way, but if you look across that bridge, that is seaside heights. let me show you ariel video so we can see what kind of devastation was rocked there overnight and over the whole time of the storm just pounding on the seaside heights and all of the jersey shore. the governor flew sorry there, he called it unthinkable, he saw all the rides and food carts, they were all in the ocean.there called it unthinkable, he saw all the rides and food carts, they were all in the ocean. i just talked

the airport in new jersey. the airport in newark, new jersey, as well.he weekend or beyond before air travel nationwide is finally back to normal. >>> it is likely to take at least that long before new york city's subway is back in full operation. the floodwaters that poured into the city's deepest tunnels may pose the biggest obstacle to recovery. all that filthy water has to be pumped out and then repaired. the rail beds and equipment must be inspected. limited bus service in the city resumed. amtrak plans to offer some northeast service today. definitely a logistical nightmare here in the northeast. >> subways up and running, free of charge, which is good. a slow start. yeah. >> crews in lower manhattan are working throughout the night to restore power to the 750,000 people there who are still in the dark. officials with the local utility con edison says sandy is the worst storm they have ever seen. power is not expected to be back before the weekend. also, in lower manhattan, a major hospital is empty after its backup generator failed. >> hundreds of

the devastation in seaside heights, new jersey. we have this a construction crane hanging perilously over the new york city streets blocks away from the studio right here, these are live pictures. this thing they had to evacuate the buildings next door, close off some of the streets, and now there are a lot of folks here wondering when they are going to be able to move back into their homes as there is no end in sight to this dangerous situation. plus, new information on a ship made famous in hollywood films and the search for the missing captain of the hms bounty. >> that is swinging really bad. >> roger. aspirin, really? i haven't thought about aspirin for years. aspirin wouldn't really help my headache, i don't think. aspirin is just old school. people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. what's different? it has micro-particles. enters the bloodstream fast

the president going to new jersey today to get a tour from new jersey governor and frequent obama critice has praised the president's response so far. on the other hand mayor michael bloomberg said no thanks to a drop by. >> i talked to the president today and you talked to his kief of staff today particularly about a trip here. i pointed out we would love to have him but we have things to do. i know he planned a trip to new jersey. i said it's fine it representeds the whole region. >> the white house says they concurred with that decision. yesterday he visited headquarters in washington not technically a campaign stop but a number of times he invoked his campaign seen forward. >> hutilities are going to have to lane forward. we are doing whatever we can to provide them with additional resources so we can expedite getting them up and running. newark, new jersey for example you have 80, 90 percent of people without power. we can't have a situation where... >> both the president and mitt romney are having to make difficult decisions in the days ahead amidst criticism he is cutting fema mr.

today as you mentioned he is visiting new jersey and getting a pat on the back from new jersey's republican governor, his rival, chris christie who says the president has done an outstanding job in this storm. the president won't be visiting new york city. mayor bloomberg says they have a lot to do to handle a presidential visit. >>> tracie, thanks. >>> back to sandy. two of the three major airports serving the area, kennedy and newark, will start to reopen today. they'll have limited service this morning. the superstorm created a worldwide ripple effect for many travelers. many are still stranded overseas. let's check in with nbc's michelle kuzinsky. she is monitoring those this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: hi. we expect the situation to improve some today, but it has been slow going. we just got this number from heathrow that 54 cancellations are in effect right now from here. that's a high number considering that on monday it was about the same number of cancellations then while the storm was about to hit. yesterday that number jumped to nearly 90 cancellations. we're talki

however, he said the worst damage was in ocean county, new jersey. he doesn't have any word from election officials there. also in suffolk county, new york, i spoke with wayne rodgers, the republican board of elections commissioner up there. he told me that phones are out. they are surveying polling places by foot right now. they're most concern about those polling places that are south of montauk highway. that's the area closest to the ocean. he says that's where the most damage has been. he says long island power has told them they'll prioritize polling places there. he said our plan is to be good to go on tuesday. they are going to hold this election on tuesday despite the high water. >> abeamon, thank you very much. >>> the new york mercantile exchange back in action today, as well as the new york stock exchange. at nymex, gold prices are closing down for the evening. >> we saw very low volumes as expected. not as many people here on the floor. rbc's analyst says a lot of funds are buying at the end of the month on the expectation we'll see post-s

from new jersey. but as we continue our coverage, which avenue some -- we have some new information we will be working on. >> he will look at conditions closer to the bay. we will have the 10:00 a.m. press conference from gov. martin o'malley. we'll have the conference live here on the tv 11. as eva mentioned, we are getting the latest updates from ocean city officials. we will provide the latest updates from in and around the maryland region. what's another live look from a virginia beach, virginia. back with more in a moment. >> good morning. once again, we're checking on the conditions on leave the area roads as they continue to get worse. we do have some problems, and. we have an inner loop accident. we will let you know when we hear if any lanes closed. we have a down the pole and wires affecting land a travel. monument at pulaski highway, that intersection is shut down. number avenue, all in advance to prepare for flooding leader on this evening. would restrictions in affect at the bay bridge. we

a resident of little ferry, new jersey, using a jet ski of the street to help with the rescue effort.about this one? only in new york, folks. someone driving their convertible through times square in the hurricane with a top-down . and tomorrow is halloween. here's a special message left by the good folks at asbury avenue in ocean city, new jersey. sandy, no candy for you. and finally, on a personal note, this is my street. a downed tree in my neighborhood

tonight, an unlikely duo tours the damage in new jersey as new yorkers try to get back to work after sandy but life is anything but normal. a live look coming now across the hudson in new jersey. half of the city in the dark, including the financial district. where the markets opened today for the first time after the storm. a deficit stated region begins to crawl back to life. >> we have a ways to go but we're beginning to make some real progress. two days after sandy hits the northeast like a sledge hammer the rescues continue. homeowners up and down the east coast now getting their first look at towns that may never be the same again. tonight, president obama surveys the damage in new jersey. >> our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. >> and promises that relief is on the way. plus, remember the election? >> i know we have huge challenges. but i'm not trend by them. >> shepard: with less than a week to go until the next goes to the polls, governor romney jumps back on the campaign trail. but first from fox this wednesday night, assessing the damage after the un

>>shepard: the governors of new york and jersey and the east coast grinding to a halt. 5,000 flights are canceled. mass transit in boston, philadelphia, washington, dc, and new york city at a standstill. the tunnels in and out of the manhattan, are shut down. the train stations from new jersey which bring commuters close to a million a day into the city, flooded with 3' to 4' of water. we have a firsthand account that could mean long-term problems. schools, financial markets, businesses are closed all offer this region. new york city and surrounding areas bracing for what could be an 11' storm surge. >> fema personnel or working with state and local governments do make sure that food and water and emergency generation is available for the communities that will be hardest hit. >> on the east coast of our nation a lot of people are enduring some very difficult times. our hearts and our prayers go to them as we think about how tough it will be. >>shepard: the president and governor romney have canceled events because of the storm. nasa shows hurricane sandy approaching the united states

rescue efforts are now under way in three new jersey towns. a levee break is what they believe has happened. it sent four to five feet of water gushing into the streets. zoraida sambolin has the latest on this breaking news for us. good morning. >> good morning to you, soledad. that break happened just after midnight in bergen county. authorities say they're using boats and high trucks in an attempt to rescue people in the towns of carlstadt, little ferry and moonachie. we talked to the chief of little ferry police department, ralph verdi a little earlier about some of the dramatic rescues that are taking place right now. >> we've got a couple houses where low-lying areas, people were up on the second floor. they had to take them out the windows. we had several medical emergencies. we had to take from the house. put them on a vote, bring them to land that was dry enough to tie them over to medical personnel and transform them to hospital. >> been plucking people off of the rooftops, as well. in another developing story we're following this morn

in just a few hours president obama will join new jersey governor christie for a tour of new jersey, of yesterday visiting the hard-hit jersey shore. he is a promising surrogate for mitt romney, a supporter of mitt romney and raised eyebrows praising the president's quick response to the storm. here's what the governor said on cnn's "starting point." >> right now i'm much more concerned of preventing loss of life and safe places and then the election. the election will take care of itself. i spoke to the president three times yesterday. he's been incredibly supportive and helpful to the state and not once did he bring up the election. >> dan lothian is at the white house. dan, christie says obama didn't bring up the election to him but he goes back on the campaign trail on thursday. >> reporter: he is. and as you know, counting today, the president will have been off the campaign trail for three days, has been focusing on the disaster in new jersey and new york. but a campaign official telling cnn in fact the president will resume campaigning tomorrow. as you know, the campaign not pu

we're going to be talking with newark, new jersey mayor cory booker. a look at some of the other stories making news. >> breaking news this morning. these are pictures you're going to be looking at of fires burning on that barrier island. fire crews working to reach the island to put out the fire. don't have any retails yet on how it started. you'll want to stay with cnn for all the breaking details on this story. again they're having a hard time getting there. >>> 12 tons, 250,000 pounds still dangling. you're looking at live pictures in new york city. it could take weeks to secure this huge crane boom left dangling by sandy. and the plan may involve getting a new crane up there, in order to secure it. this you're looking at here is video of the moment the boom collapsed. there it goes. and when asked how secure it is right now mayor michael bloomberg responded, nobody knows. reassuring. >>> new york city police airlifting six people off their rooftops in staten island to safety. five adults and one child were stranded by rising floodwaters. the helico

follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until it you rebuild. >> at his side, new jersey straight jersey republican -- at his side, new jersey republican governor chris christie. what the president found was scenes of utter devastation. this was seaside heights. the homes had been destroyed. this is the mangled metal of what was an amusement park. in new jersey, across the hudson river from manhattan, we found waterfront neighbors cut off. some attempted it the watery drive. he did not make it to the other side. this man told me he would have to climb out through the car window. he would have to take photographs of the insurance company. those without power bedded down for a second night in shelters. we met tiffany phillips who was forced out of her home in a hurry. >> i've literally just made it out because the water and up being more than waste time. >> in new york, the scale and power of the storm becomes more clear. s.i., the damage to property is mindboggling. rescuers have put their lives on the line to save others. the human cost of this disaster is rising. dozens

for the state of new jersey.s we got in at the last minute yesterday were sort of in the $20 billion range. overall in terms of economic damage, that's insured losses, those are other bosses, business losses. hard to tell what it's going to be. remember, carol, as devastating as things like this are, boy, the rain has just picked up here, as devastating as they are, where there is rebuilding and work to be done, sometimes that offsets it. so you always have to look at a hurricane or a big storm at least six months out and look back at it so see whether there's been a net loss or a net improvement. obviously, that doesn't matter right now. there are people with cash flow problems. there are people who want their paychecks. so that's not something most people are thinking about immediately, but we often look back and say, you know, on balance sometimes these things are not harmful to the economy because there's so much extra work involved in rebuilding, reconstruction, and rehabilitation. >> i hope you're right. al