Propelled by the destruction super-storm Sandy caused when it battered New Jersey in 2012, innovative design measures were introduced to protect future builds along the Jersey Shore from similar damage.
Many of those whose houses were still standing had the buildings raised on to temporary pilings, to allow stronger permanent foundations to be put in.
Some had their buildings lifted to reduce flood insurance rates, or meet new construction codes, National Geographic reports, but in doing so, they sent a clear message that the Jersey Shore was their home – and they wouldn’t be swayed from it.
Propelled by the destruction super-storm Sandy, home-owners on the Jersey Shore have raised their homes off the ground in order to put in sturdier foundations. Pictures, taken in 2013, show the houses on the waterfront raised by some 10ft or more to protect against future storms
Hurricane Sandy left parts of New York in ruin when it battered the US eastern seaboard in October 2012, damaging 305,000 homes and leaving in its wake $19 billion worth of destruction.
Pictures, taken in 2013, show the houses on the waterfront raised by some 10ft or more while builders put in sturdier foundations.
Raised by wooden pillars, the empty, eerie spaces show the houses, built on sand, lifted above their fragile foundations on temporary wooden stilts.
Row after row of Atlantic vacation homes on the horizon were wiped out by the 900-mile storm following surging waters and winds which reached peaks of 95mph.
Hurricane Sandy left parts of New York in ruin when it battered the US eastern seaboard in October 2012, damaging 305,000 homes and leaving in its wake $19 billion worth of destruction. Pictures, taken in 2013, show the houses on the waterfront raised by some 10ft or more while builders put in sturdier foundations
The colossal scale of the devastation mounted and the death toll rose to over 50 people, leaving houses ruined and lives destroyed, when the storm hit in 2012.
Photographer and writer Ira Wagner said for the publication: ‘For 25 years I’ve vacationed with my family at the Jersey Shore, where beach communities are strung along 127 miles of coastline.
‘In 2013 I began taking photos to capture the groundswell of house raisings and the strangeness of what it all looks like.
‘We tend to think of buildings as fairly permanent—but when you see how a house can be dug underneath, lifted up, moved around, pulled, and tossed, it challenges that view.’
Raised by wooden pillars, the empty, eerie spaces show the houses, built on sand, lifted above their fragile foundations on temporary wooden stilts. Row after row of Atlantic vacation homes on the horizon were wiped out by the 900-mile storm following surging waters and winds which reached peaks of 95mph
Devastation: The well-known town and historic boardwalk of Seaside Heights, New Jersey, made famous the world over by MTV’s Jersey Shore, was almost totally wiped out by Hurricane Sandy
The well-known seaside town and historic boardwalk of Seaside Heights – made famous the world over by MTV’s Jersey Shore – was one of the most affected by the hurricane.
Pictures taken at the time showed the waterfront rides on Casino Pier swept away, a roller coaster crashed into the sea, and sand, leaves and debris choking roads previously lined with houses.
Homes and communities where legions of vacationers from the tri-state area and beyond made summer memories were ripped apart.
Now families hope their castles built on sand will hold steady in the face of future hurricanes thanks to the sturdier foundations installed.
Ruined: The waterfront rides on Casino Pier are gone. A roller coaster bobs lazily in the waves. Sand, leaves and debris choke roads previously lined with houses that now rest on their sides
Homes devastated: Homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy sit amongst sand washed ashore in Seaside Heights