Homeowners return to devastation wreaked by Superstorm Sandy

Homeowners returned to an island off New Jersey yesterday for the first time since Superstorm Sandy struck.

Long Beach Island, an enclave of mostly affluent vacation homes, took a direct hit, with some homes washed full of sand and seawater, and others completely destroyed. Some areas are still without sewage services, water and electricity, and the entire island is without gas. One locality, Holgate, on the island's southern tip, remains closed because it is too dangerous to enter. All told, some 434,000 homes and businesses in the region still lack power.