Sandy's Aftermath: Relief Pours In - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

From the sky the Jersey shore sits barely recognizable in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with boats tossed to their sides like toys and homes buried in sand.

"It was horrible, it's really sad. Everything I grew up around is gone," says Toms River resident Guy Pollioni.

As people uprooted by the storm surveyed the damage long lines of first responders headed over the Matthews Bridge in Toms River, a sign of the massive effort now under way to rescue those still stranded on the Jersey shore.

John Hughes was one of the first helped to safety Wednesday.

All his belongings now fit into a few bags.

"It was scary. It was the scariest thing I have every lived through, but at least I lived through it," he says.

Hundreds of others have been pulled from the flood waters left by Sandy.

In Hoboken, thousands of people were still stranded Wednesday by water that had surrounded their homes.

In Queens, those with homes battered by flames hoped to recover something from the wreckage.

Communities across the Northeast are now coming to terms with a new reality and promising to rebuild.

"We'll rebuild fully. It will take a long time, but we'll be back by next summer," promises Toms River resident Anthony Bueti.

Down for now, but not forever.