Christie and Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez asked President Obama to authorize federal relief aid for New Jersey Watch video
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at a press conference with a swollen Raritan River in the background, after he surveyed flood damage in Manville Gov. Chris Christie ventured into the state’s submerged interior once again Tuesday, stunned by what he saw. He asked that federal help be sped up, and counseled patience among the displaced and the disheartened.
Surrounded by destruction, he said he had canceled a trip to Mississippi, no stranger to a hurricane’s fury, to attend a political fundraiser with a fellow Republican governor.
"I just didn’t think it was right of me to leave," he said.
Instead, he will remain on the ground at home.
"This is the worst than any of them have seen," Christie said as he stood near the Passaic River. "For members of these communities who have lost everything, relief cannot come soon enough for them."
In an effort to expedite the recovery, Christie sent a letter to President Obama Tuesday asking him to speed up the emergency declaration for the entire state.
"Based on the facts and information available, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplemental federal assistance is necessary," Christie wrote.
The governor said he expects the president to grant his request. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to visit the state today to assess damages.
Underscoring the severity of the situation, the state’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, have also requested that Obama speed the assistance.
"The destruction will lead to severe hardship and the costs will be so great that many residents will not be able to rebuild their lives on their own," they wrote. "In addition, Hurricane Irene caused extensive damage to public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, public parks and government facilities, and local governments will face enormous challenges as they try to rebuild."
Throughout the day, the Passiac River continued to rise, inundating communities and creeping into water-logged homes and businesses. Christie traveled to towns along the river, some of which have already started to see the water subside.
Valerie Meter, 61, of North Road in Wayne, wept as she told the governor she had lost many of her possessions. She walked him through the first floor of her home. Grey mud covered her floors. Dishes and trinkets were stacked atop her kitchen cabinets.
"I moved here in December," Meter said. "I’m 61. This was meant to be my home. I was looking forward to settling. Now, I have lost the things I’ve owned my whole life."
At a news conference in Wayne, less than a mile from homes that were filled with water up to the second floor, Christie said many of the rivers were topping record levels. He was joined by members of swift water rescue teams from the State Police, who had spent the day pulling trapped residents from homes and hotels where they had sought shelter — only to be trapped by water.
"Some stuff I saw and experienced was pretty incredible," Christie said. "In Wayne, in an area that has not flooded before, I saw just extraordinary despair."
Christie also Fairfield, in Essex County, where he said he saw at least 20 homes under five feet of water.
"I’ve never seen flooding like that before," he said.
As of Christie’s 5:30 p.m. news conference, 220,000 households throughout the state remained without power, and he encouraged patience for those still sitting in the dark.
"Let them come to Wayne and see what we saw today," he said. "Those people have to start their lives over. If you see that, you can do without power a day or so in the grand scheme of things."
By Ginger Gibson, Julia Terruso and Matt Friedman/The Star-Ledger