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Superstorm Could Complicate Voting; New York Stock Exchange Opens; Interview with Mayor Lorenzo Langford of Atlantic City; Sandy Ravages Jersey Shore; 100 Romney Surrogates Hit the Trail; Sandy Savages Jersey Shore; Obama to Tour New Jersey with Gov. Christie; NYC Struggles to Return to Normal

Aired October 31, 2012 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We're out of time. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello begins right now.

Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Thank you for joining us this morning. I'm Carol Costello. We begin this hour, of course, with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy and the full scope of devastation that's just now coming into view.

These are new pictures that sent into CNN minutes ago. The storm's death toll just in the United States now stands at 40. New York Police say 22 were killed in the city alone.

Check out this video from an NYPD helicopter. Across the region, thousands of people had to be rescued from their flooded homes. Many were chased to their rooftops to escape the rising waters. Today, as National Guard troops roll into overwhelmed towns and villages, normalcy seems so far out of reach.

More than six million homes and businesses still without power. And many will be shivering because they don't have heat either for days and days to come.

We have a lot to cover this morning. So let's begin by narrowing our focus. First stop, New Jersey. Some of the most jaw-dropping images are coming in from the Jersey Shore. The resort area that has entertained vacationing Americans for generations, one iconic landmark, the Atlantic City boardwalk, lost a big chunk due to crashing waves.

Governor Chris Christie says the damage to the state's beaches is, quote, "overwhelming." And today, Governor Christie will tour the devastation with President Obama.

The Republican Governor who has campaigned steadily for Mitt Romney raised eyebrows by praising the President's response to this crisis.

We're going to take a look at the politics in play. But first, more importantly, we're going to focus on the devastation, the damage along the Jersey Shore. Michael Holmes is in Toms River. That's on the Jersey Shore. He joins us by phone. Very hard to get a live shot out of there right now.

Michael, describe the Jersey Shore. What are you seeing?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Damage in barrier island. And it's quite a sight, I can tell you. There's a mile-long queue of emergency vehicles, everything from tractor trailers, four-wheel drive, heavy earth-moving equipment, buses loaded with rescue workers. I see a fire truck, a rescue truck, the National Guard is all here, they're all lined up on this side of the bridge waiting for the green light to head across and on to those barrier islands that you've seen extraordinary pictures of. They're going to go over there, they're going to set up a command center and then they're going to pan out and do what they can to help anyone who is still there, who hasn't yet been rescued and to begin to assess the magnitude of what occurred there.

Of course those barrier islands taking the brunt of Sandy. We were there the day the storm arrived, got out before it hit. And already we could see the ocean waters coming through the sand dunes, crashing into places that normally 50 feet -- 50 yards away from the shore, from the ocean.

It was quite extraordinary then. And you've seen the devastation once Sandy passed over the coast. So a massive operation about to get under way here. These vehicles are all lined up, about to cross the bridge, and go in there and make a concerted effort to see what is left of those barrier islands and those holiday homes that you mentioned.

COSTELLO: We're looking at live pictures courtesy of our affiliate WABC. These pictures are taken from the air, obviously. They're helicopter shots.

We've heard that some homes are literally buried in sand. Are you seeing that?

HOLMES: Yes, we've seen those images, too. I was saying -- yesterday I was talking to the local police just about half an hour ago. And yes, the thing that happened, when they were bringing people up, those people who defied the mandatory evacuation order and decided to stay put, we actually interviewed a couple of people before we left who said they were going to ride it out. No big deal. They've seen these storms before. Well, they hadn't seen anything like this.

And those people we talked to today being brought off the island terrified, huddled together on the back of these huge 2 1/2 ton trucks, which is the only vehicles that could get across there at that point. And even one of the police officers was telling us that that was -- this was a terrifying thing. He said that the dunes just broke apart and essentially the ocean ran across those homes.

He said it went from three inches to a foot to three feet to five feet in a matter of just a few minutes. And he said they actually had to move themselves multiple times as the water rose so they could get to higher ground.

The police officer I was talking to said he absolutely has never seen anything like it.

COSTELLO: I'm just looking at these pictures and my jaw is dropping. It's just hard to even -- looking at the pictures, it's hard to comprehend them.

Michael Holmes, I know you're trying to get a live shot up for us. I know how difficult it is. I'm going to let you go. Hopefully, we can check back later with you, Michael. Michael Holmes from Toms River, New Jersey. Close to those barrier islands that, as you can see, have seen so much devastation. Just like unbelievable pictures.

And it doesn't look like there are any people there. And that's a good thing. That means people are out of the danger zone, as well they should be. We'll continue. We're just -- we're just getting these live pictures in from this helicopter. It's hard to step away because we want you just to see the scope of the devastation.

Governor Chris Christie will be touring some of this area with President Obama today. And this is the sort of thing that the President will see firsthand. We have to put this in political terms because, as you know, nowadays everything is.

Dan Lothian is here in Washington with me. And when will the President arrive in New Jersey, Dan?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he will be taking off at -- about 12:15 or so from here in Washington, So it's about an hour or so, little less than an hour for the President to get to New Jersey.

It will be a quick trip. He'll go on the ground, as you pointed out, touring with Governor Christie, also talking with some of the families who've been impacted there, who've lost their homes, some of whom may have lost some relatives or friends. And also talking to first responders who the President has been saying now for the last couple of days, the critical role that they have played in rescuing folks and perhaps preventing even more of a catastrophe in some of these areas.

So that's what the President will be doing on the ground there today. But in general, you know, what you're seeing from the White House is trying to show that the President is very much on top of the situation there. They're releasing photographs of the President in the situation room, getting briefings.

We heard from a White House official that overnight the President was getting updates on the recovery efforts and in addition to that, you know, that the President has -- will continue to get updates and briefings today as well. So trying to show that the President is staying on top of this situation. But it's a big balance for the President because he is having to deal with these very real and gripping issues while at the same time focusing on the campaign. He's been off the campaign trail. We expect that he'll head back out in the next day or so. So a big balance for the President during this very difficult time.

COSTELLO: You're not kidding. Dan Lothian, stick around. We have to go to Atlantic City right now. Sandra Endo has been there for days and days. Actually, when she was in Ocean City, she made her way up to Atlantic City. And I understand people are still being rescued there.

SANDRA ENDO , CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Carol. It's a rescue and recovery mode here in Atlantic City. But let me show you what people are seeing here. This is a bay side community. We're on the waterfront. You can you see, there was a dock here. But it's completely demolished. That's how hard and strong the force of the waves and the wind was. And to give you an idea, Carol, the water came up to my neck in this area, in this neighborhood. And residents here were required to evacuate, actually. There was a mandatory evacuation order here.

This home, the people that lived here, they did not evacuate and they watched the storm hit their house the entire time. Again, the water level came up to here. And they said they saw the dock and the boats banging into their home. And that is why you see all this devastation and destruction.

You can see the window on the floor here, on their lawn. They have a lot of clean-up to do, obviously. And let me show you what caused that damage. You can see at the end of the street here past the downed power lines and the uprooted tree, you can see a piece of the dock in one of their neighbor's driveways basically.

And at the end of the street, that is the houseboat, the tiny houseboat that collided into their home and banged into their home over and over. Here is the homeowner right here.

Lisa, if we could talk to you real quick, Lisa, about enduring the storm. You didn't heed the warnings. You did not evacuate. What was it like during the entire time?

LISA, STORM VICTIM: It was kind of intimidating, when they would come and talk about getting out and take your name, you know, to notify family members and everything. But it was just weird, surreal. A really, really bad storm.

ENDO: You saw the dock and the houseboat hitting your house.

LISA: Yes. And sailboat. You know, it's weird because we have this great view or had this great room to view it on. You know, it would be like, George, come here, there's a sailboat or something, and he was trying to -- you know, a little sunfish.

ENDO: Obviously very devastating and we really have our hearts and minds and prayers and thoughts with you and your community as you pick up the pieces. Obviously very devastating. And people very tired, shaken up by everything they've been through the last few days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sandra Endo, reporting live from Atlantic City, New Jersey. New York City still struggling to return to normal as well. LaGuardia remains closed with water still covering the tarmac there. But there is limited flight service to JFK and at Newark, the city's mass transit system, well, that's another story. Many subway stations still flooded but buses are running regular routes this morning. So at least there are some public transit.

Rob Marciano is in Manhattan. And Rob, despite these problems, some things in New York City slowly getting back to normal.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They're trying. They're trying, Carol. You know, traffic is starting to flow. Mass transit trying to pick up. But this part of Manhattan, south of 29th Street. Really in some parts south of 39th Street they're without power and maybe for several days. The substation that controls a big chunk of this part of the island on 14th Street by the East River, that was flooded. That was -- had protection for a 12-foot surge. That would have been historic. This was over a 13-foot surge, something they've never planned for.

Yesterday we went down to Con Edison, the headquarters, we've gotten to their situation room, I spoke with the incident commander. Here's what he had to say about the storm.

Basically it was something that they couldn't plan for. That's how big it was. A storm on steroids. And as many benefits as the infrastructure that's underground has, the one downfall is when it gets flooded like that. So bottom line is -- are people without power.

Sara Domenic (ph) who's a transplant from North Carolina, believe it or not. So you've experienced some hurricanes before. What's this one been like in comparison?

SARA DOMENIC, NEW YORKER: In comparison, it's been an experience of living in a stacked-up building with many, many people with no lights and no way to get around the city. Taxis are running now but when the subways are down, people are really stranded. And people want to go uptown to shower or, you know, to get -- to charge their phone. That's the reason I stopped here. I saw the charging station on the street.

MARCIANO: So as far as -- closely packed as New Yorkers are, it almost makes it more limiting?

DOMENIC: Everything is limited. I mean just to get a cup of coffee, my neighbor had to walk all the way to 23rd Street, I think, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: And you have to walk how far to go to work?

DOMENIC: I'm walking to 50th Street.

MARCIANO: OK.

DOMENIC: Forty blocks.

MARCIANO: We'll let you go. I know she's a human resource director. So she can't fire herself if she's late.

New Yorkers are trying to get back to normal. Actually she plugged her phone into our truck, Carol. There's -- it's one bit of community service that CNN is doing in the modern age, everyone needs their handheld device. And you don't have power in your place, you've got to go find some so --

COSTELLO: No, actually, I hear --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Countless New Yorkers are coming by satellite trucks and local TV live trucks and asking if, you know, they can plug in their cell phone or their computer.

MARCIANO: Yes.

COSTELLO: They're also gathering around Starbucks, just waiting to get in so that they can just charge up their devices. So they have some communication with the world.

MARCIANO: Or grab a Wi-Fi connection.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Because imagine sitting in your tiny apartment in New York City in the dark and just sitting there. I can't even imagine how horrible that would be.

MARCIANO: You know, ConEd just down the road. They're one of the few buildings with power. And people who get their power from ConEd say, I'm a customer, let me in, let me plug my phone in. And what are they going to say? No? So that's another way to get power here.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Hey, you do what you have to do.

MARCIANO: Carol, yes, two to four days, parts of the island before it's completely restored and Staten Island to Westchester County, as much as 10 days plus before complete restoration. So this is going to go down as the worst storm-related power outage in New York City's history. Back to you.

COSTELLO: That's a lot of lattes, because you've got to buy something when you plug in your device there.

Rob Marciano, thank you so much.

MARCIANO: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Superstorm Sandy has affected so many people and so much property in the northeast and in the Midwest. Could next week's election be next?

Will we have to postpone the election? Say it ain't so.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right. We're just getting these pictures in from CNN. We want to share them with you right now. This is from our affiliate WABC.

Obviously, these pictures are being taken from the air. This is Bay Head, New Jersey, right along the Jersey Shore.

And you heard Chris Christie describe it yesterday, the damage to the Jersey Shore is unthinkable, he said. It will appear nothing like it did before. The landscape is changed forever.

These pictures in Moonachie, New Jersey, is that where this is? Where are these pictures, producers?

OK. This is in Moonachie. This is 90 miles from Manhattan. So, it's closer to New York City. You can see there were water rescues taking place.

Are these pictures from yesterday or this morning? These pictures are from yesterday.

Right now, Moonachie -- is actually by Little Ferry. This is Little Ferry, New Jersey, just to make things clear. The water has now receded from Little Ferry.

And in nearby Moonachie, they're now dealing with a fire. We know that at least one house is on fire and firefighters are trying to contain that. We'll take you back there in a bit just to get you updated.

But let's look ahead to next week. Could this superstorm affect the election?

For the states directly hit, there are still so many questions. Will they have their voting sites up and running on full power, or an alternate location? What about voters who lost everything, including their photo ID?

Joining me now is Joe Johns from Washington.

If anyone knows these questions, you do. So, do you think the election will be postponed? What's going to happen in states like New Jersey where many people are dealing with other things rather than worrying about getting to the polls?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's hard to say that an election like this will be postponed, because you have to remember there are so many states in the United States that simply were not affected. And if you were to postpone for one state or two states, you'd have what would be called an equal protection challenge and you could go to court and fight it.

So, what's much more likely to happen, Carol, is that the places that have problems -- we're talking about counties and specific precincts that have determined they have a problem. They'll do something to fix it, whether they'll move the polling place or there are some states that even have laws or rules where you can, you know, incrementally move the date or time, something along those lines.

There are a lot of different options they can do. But they'll try to determine where they have a specific problem precinct by precinct and address that, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. Here is the question for you. Do states traditionally have paper ballots available if the power goes down?

JOHNS: Right. Almost everything with voting is state by state or county by county, or both.

So, Massachusetts and Connecticut, for example, they still use the old paper ballots that you punch and can be scanned optically. And some parts of the state of Virginia also use that technology.

In Pennsylvania, "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that officials say counties should have enough paper ballots for 20 percent to 25 percent of expected voters because some touch screen voting machines may be expected to run on battery power if they have to.

So, it's a mixed bag. All the states have to reach out and find out what their needs are, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, the most impacted states, of course, New Jersey and New York are pretty much blue states. What if this happened in Ohio?

JOHNS: Yes, I know. But, you know and I know, Carol, we both come from Ohio. And we also know that people there are pretty hardy and the weather has to get pretty darn bad before people say they've got a real problem.

Big picture, though. It's pretty clear that the state has emergency rules that govern natural disasters around election time, the state needs to follow its own rule. New York has a rule that might be construed to say if you have an emergency affecting a threshold portion of the voting population in a particular area, you can extend the election one day at a time for up to 20 days or so.

So, that's a rule they can lean on. And if anybody wants to take issue with that, well, down the road, they just sort of take it up in the courts.

COSTELLO: Sort of take it up in the courts -- that scares me the most.

JOHNS: Yes, I know.

COSTELLO: Can you imagine? I don't even want to imagine that.

Joe Johns, thank you so much. For the presidential candidates, the election seems to have taken a backseat to storm recovery. There's a reason why. We'll talk about the delegates' strategy involved in disaster politics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning: will Sandy change the election?

Talk about crass, who with a human heart could play politics when so many have lost so much? Not New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie, exhausted and relentlessly nonpartisan. Today, he will tour his state with President Obama, a president he has praised for his administration's storm response. This is what he had to say to Piers Morgan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: This is so much bigger than an election. This is the livelihood of the people of my state. What they expect me to do is get the job done.

When someone asks me an honest question, I give an honest answer. How has the President been to deal with? He has been outstanding to deal with on this. I look forward to seeing him tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: This is the same man who questioned the President's leadership at the Republican National Convention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: We need politicians to care more about doing something and less about being something. It is time to end this era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office and send real leaders back to the White House. America needs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan! And we need them right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Political analysts are flummoxed. They're confused. Romney surrogate, you know, "FOX and Friends," tried to get Christie to dial it back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there any possibility that Governor Romney may go to New Jersey to tour some of the damage with you?

CHRISTIE: I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested. I've got a job to do here in New Jersey. It's much bigger than presidential politics and I could care less about any of that stuff. I have a job to do. I've got 2.4 million people out of power. I've got devastation on the shore. I've got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don't know me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Talk about a smackdown. Yet despite Christie's largess, political types just can't help but wonder will Christie's newfound love for President Obama tilt the election Obama's way?

Talkback question for you: will Sandy change the election?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Your responses later this hour.

Hundreds are rescued in a northern New Jersey town. We'll tell you how the city plans to rescue others who are, yes, still stranded today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We are seconds away from the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

The damage from superstorm Sandy forced it to close for the past two days. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is at the stock exchange today. He's going to ring the opening bell.

Alison Kosik is there to witness the whole thing. I see Mayor Bloomberg there.

Hello, Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Mayor Bloomberg is up on the podium, ringing the bell. There's the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, Duncan Niederauer, is up there, so is Larry Leibowitz, he's the chief operation officer, who also happens to be Jon Stewart's brother. They are all up on the podium, getting ready to ring the bell in about 15 seconds.

And, you know, everybody kind of holding their breath here, because, you know, after the devastation from hurricane Sandy, after two days of the markets being closed, this is the opening bell that's telling the world, Carol, that New York is open for business -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And that can only mean good things for all of us in our economy, of course. Alison Kosik --

KOSIK: I think I lost --

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, Alison can't hear me. Sorry, we're having technical difficulties there. But you got the gist. Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Also this morning, we're taking a closer look at the aftermath of superstorm Sandy and the full scope of the devastation that's just now coming into view. These are new pictures that just fed into CNN moments ago. The storm's death toll just in the United States stands at 40. New York police say 22 people died in the city alone.

Take a look at this video from an NYPD helicopter. Across the region thousands of people had to be rescued from their flooded homes. Many were chased to their rooftops to escape the rising waters. And today, as National Guards troops roll into overwhelmed towns and villages.

You know, people are asking, when will things ever get back to normal? It seems so far out of reach right now -- more than 6 million homes and businesses still without power. And many of those people who live along the northeastern corridor will be shivering because, you know, without electricity, that means they don't have heat either. And they won't have heat for days and days to come.

The storm could also have a political impact. Don't you know it?

Paul Ryan getting ready to campaign in his home state of Wisconsin. This is a live look at his event in Eau Claire. He will visit Green Bay and Racine later today.

Wisconsin, as you know, is considered a toss-up state with some recent poll suggesting President Obama has an advantage.

In the meantime, Vice President Biden and Mitt Romney are in Florida. Not together, separately. Romney's first in Tampa, then Coral Gables and Jacksonville. Biden will be rallying in Sarasota and later this morning in Ocala.

President Obama will stay off the campaign trail for another day. He will, instead, tour storm damage in New Jersey. Mitt Romney is campaigning, but sensitively. It's less than a week before the election.

So, how do candidates balance politics in the face of disaster? During a natural disaster?

Joining us now is Thomas Whalen, an American history professor at Boston University. He's also offered a commentary on the current campaign.

Thank you so much for being with us, Thomas.

THOMAS WHALEN, HISTORIAN, BOSTON UNIVERSITY: My pleasure.

COSTELLO: There is a real danger in how a president handles a natural disaster because it can sink a presidency, right?

WHALEN: Well, it could, potentially. What you're really talking about here is the political narrative people have about a particular candidate or president. And a natural disaster, at least how presidents respond to them, basically can reinforce or undermine that narrative. In the case of George W. Bush in 2006 with hurricane Katrina, he campaigned as basically a compassionate conservative. But his actions during the whole Katrina mess proved that he was otherwise.

COSTELLO: I know because you have that lasting image of President Bush and then you know when he said that thing about his FEMA director, "Way to go, Brownie," or whatever he said. That sticks in people's minds to this day.

WHALEN: Right. And, you know, that would be a defining sound bite of his entire presidency. Granted, it's unfair, but that's what sticks in people's minds.

COSTELLO: In your mind, has President Obama made the right move, wrong move? What do you think?

WHALEN: I think he's made the appropriate move here. He hasn't been too over. That's the key here. You can't be overtly political in how you respond to these kinds of disasters.

But he's obviously going to accrue some benefits because he's acting as commanders-in-chief are supposed to act and help people on a broad basis. And, you know, as the remarks of Governor Christie of New Jersey proved, this is a -- he gets bipartisan support out of this disaster. That has to help the bottom line come Election Day.

COSTELLO: Well, of course, he hasn't been -- President Obama wanted to fit in one last campaign appearance in Florida, then hurriedly flew back because he realized he couldn't make it back to Washington because the storm was coming. So he hasn't acted perfectly along this path, right?

WHALEN: Well, that's true. He has a number of surrogates and I understand Bill Clinton is going to be picking up a number of campaign appearances on the campaign trail. So that is going to help matters, because, you know, President Obama can say, well, I'm president. And, you know, this takes priority over politics. And I think that will basically sit well with voters.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about Mitt Romney, because he decided to turn a campaign event in Ohio into a relief effort. Collecting food and collecting goods to send to the people who have been affected by superstorm Sandy. Good, bad, what?

WHALEN: I think it was a very smart political move. Again, you don't want to come off too overtly political. I think that was just the right measured response to the disaster. And I think if he went to -- you know, on a media tour of the disaster site that would seem too opportunistic, almost politically desperate. So, I think he made the right call there.

COSTELLO: The only thing is that reporters at the end of this event were shouting at him, asking him if he supported FEMA, if FEMA should disappear. Governor Romney didn't answer their questions. Why do you suppose that was? WHALEN: Because he knows that that is a potential pitfall for his candidacy, very much like his comments on the auto bailout in Detroit. It's a no-win situation for him. That might prove a critical difference come Election Day.

COSTELLO: Thomas Whalen, thanks for sharing your insights. We appreciate it.

WHALEN: My pleasure.

Atlantic City was one of the hardest areas hit. We're going to talk to the city's mayor live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: As you know, Atlantic City was hit hard by superstorm Sandy. We have Atlantic City's mayor on the phone right now, Lorenzo Langford.

Welcome, Mayor Langford.

MAYOR LORENZO LANGFORD, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY (via telephone): I'm good morning. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm good. I know you must be exhausted right now but I wee want to ask you about search and rescue in Atlantic City.

LANGFORD: Sure.

COSTELLO: Are rescues over yet?

LANGFORD: Well, first of all, let me say, there is no time to be exhausted. We still have some work to do.

The search and rescue for the most part is over. The water has receded for the most part. Streets are passable. Certainly, there is debris and litter strewn across the street. Some uprooted trees and downed utility wires make it pretty difficult for passage in some areas. But for the most part, we can get around.

At this point, our primary concern is trying to get power reconnected so that we can get those residents who have been displaced back into their humble abodes.

COSTELLO: Any estimate about when power might be restored?

LANGFORD: We have no idea. But as we speak, crews are out and about in Atlantic city from our power company, doing what they do. And I give them a lot of credit as well as our public works and emergency personnel crew. They're all doing due diligence, trying to get this thing up and going.

COSTELLO: As you tour your city, sir, do you have any idea of the damage estimate?

LANGFORD: No. It would be premature to try to make that assessment at this time. I expect some time later, probably, more closely to tomorrow, we'll start to get some numbers with respect to the extent of the property damage.

COSTELLO: I'd like to ask you about what Governor Chris Christie has said about your efforts in Atlantic City. He wasn't so happy with the actions that you took pre-Sandy. This is what he said on "EARLY START." Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: I signed an order, ordering the evacuation of Atlantic City. The mayor was sending a mixed message. He told folks that they could shelter as a last resort in the city of Atlantic City. A number of people chose to do so.

That was the wrong thing to do. I ordered the evacuation. And now, we're in the midst of doing urban search and rescue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Mr. Mayor, can you address that?

LANGFORD: I sure can. The Governor is dead wrong. It's the Governor who has spewing mixed message.

First statement was I countermanded his order. The order came from the state and through the county and to municipality that we are to make every effort to get every resident out of the city of Atlantic City.

We did a press release. We posted it on the city's Web site and we had two press conferences on Saturday and Sunday, urging residents to flee the island.

So, first, the Governor says I countermanded his order which would mean that I said that residents should stay. Now, he has backpedalled and he's saying that I have sent mixed messages.

The Governor is dead wrong. Somebody has given him this wrong information or something else is going on. But I can tell you the Governor is dead wrong. And he needs to man up and admit it.

COSTELLO: This isn't the first time you two have gotten into a political spat, is it?

LANGFORD: It is not. And perhaps that speaks to why he might have said what he has said.

But let me say this: that's not important. I'm not focusing on that. One thing I can say, I am committed to making sure we do the very best that we can to provide our residents with a level of safety that is sufficient. I would expect that the Governor is on the same page.

So, in that regard, there is no disagreement. This is not a time for politics. I'm not focused on that. I'm concerned about the residents of Atlantic City. And that's where my priority is. COSTELLO: Well, as you know, Chris Christie and President Obama will be touring Atlantic City later this afternoon. Will you be with them?

LANGFORD: Yes, I will.

COSTELLO: And I would suspect that al will be in cooperation and agreement in helping one another.

LANGFORD: Well, I would expect that, too. And I think that at this point that whole situation is something that should be relegated to the past. It's time to move forward.

COSTELLO: Mayor Langford, thank you so much for talking with us this morning.

LANGFORD: You're welcome. Yes. God bless.

COSTELLO: Appreciate it.

Mitt Romney and 100 of his closest friends could be coming to a city near you. We're learning about a last-second blitz from Republicans to try to win your vote.

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COSTELLO: Perhaps the worst devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy happened on the Barrier Islands of New Jersey. Michael Holmes our reporter is very near those Islands, he's in Toms River. Describe the scene for us -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes Carol, good morning. Yes, we're just on the west side of the bridge, the bridge just behind me. It's a bit of a deserted road now. Not so a few minutes ago when probably a mile-long convoy of emergency vehicles went across. They're going to go over there, set up a staging area and then fan out across those devastated islands.

This is the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. They're the ones running it. We saw tractor trailers, front end loaders, fire rescue, a busload of personnel being taken over. And what they're going to deal with over there is quite staggering.

We've seen the pictures now when Sandy came ashore. Literally the ocean just washed across those barrier islands, devastating those holiday homes, that iconic locations for so many people who go there on vacation every summer. Yes we were over there the day before. In fact, the day that Sandy hit, we got out before it hit. And already you could see the dunes starting to break down.

We spoke with locals then who said they were going to ride it out. Well, they regret that, I can tell you. Yesterday we were back in this very spot, as people were brought over on big two-ton trucks. It was the only way to get in and out yesterday. Rescues -- there are still rescues ongoing, by the way. There are still people in their houses who need assistance and they're being dealt with right now.

Talking to the police chief here about half an hour ago who said it's going to take a long, long time to sort things out over there about a mile or two behind me -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I would assume there's no electricity there so these poor people trapped in their homes, how are they communicating that they actually need help? How are rescue workers finding them?

HOLMES: Yes. It is a big problem because by now cell phone batteries will be drained. There is no power. Some people who live over there do have generators. But are those generators dry and operable? It's pretty much a house-to-house thing. People are going over there and having to check out each house one at a time.

There's a Blackhawk helicopter flying over from the National Guard right now as I speak. There are electricity trucks, the gas truck went over as well. One of the problems that they had over there was gas leaks. And some houses were actually on fire.

So that's another problem that they're having to deal with. And one big fire truck went over as well. Probably to deal with that, one would imagine. So certainly a very fluid situation and a very desperate situation. If you've been there after all this time without assistance, you're going to be in quite dire straits.

Yesterday some of those who were brought back over were quite elderly. They obviously had nowhere to go before the storm and decided to stay put. And they certainly regretted it, too. A couple of them we saw taken off and put into ambulances to be taken off for treatment -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Michael Holmes, giving us an update from Toms River, New Jersey.

We'll be right back with much more after this.

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COSTELLO: All right.

A bit of political news just in to CNN. As you know, President Obama will travel to New Jersey to tour the state with the Republican Governor there Chris Christie but he will be back on the campaign trail according to one of his aides. He's telling CNN that the President will be back on the campaign trail on Thursday.

To put that in to some sort of context from you and this is from political editor Paul Steinhauser, the Wisconsin event that's where the President is going to go on Thursday has been in the works for a few days so that was a pre-planned event and as you know Obama surrogates have been on the campaign trail, they have been campaigning for the President in the last several days.

So let's talk about Mitt Romney now because he's getting an incredible show of force. He and 100 of his most prominent surrogates are fanning out across those very swing states and eight others.

Take a look at the line-up. Former Secretary of State Rice, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Senator John McCain from Arizona all on the stump for Romney all at the same time.

CNN contributor John Avalon is in the battleground state of Ohio. So John, it's a cavalcade of Republican stars. Will it help Romney?

JOHN AVALON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well they certainly hope so, Carol. I mean, this is sort of that last-minute stampede. The Romney camp taking its major surrogates throughout the swing states and that's exactly what they should be doing. At this stage Carol this is a game of inches, this is a war of attrition and the swing states every vote could matter.

So they're going to put out everything they've got. Because you know what; there are only six days left in this election. You don't leave -- leave anything in the locker room.

COSTELLO: Well let me ask you a question about Ohio voters, do they have Sandy on their minds at all?

AVLON: Well, there's definitely been bad weather as you may be able to tell throughout Ohio as a result of Sandy. But the storm is very dissipated.

The real debate here -- we have gone to the election polling places that are open for early election and they're still packed. No sign of a falloff on that because of the weather.

The debates here really more about the economy. The campaign's having a tussle right now over Chrysler and GM. When Joe Biden and Bill Clinton came to Youngstown, where I am today, Carol, they slammed Mitt Romney for putting up what they call the misleading ads.

And it's extraordinary, GM just weighed calling this claim that they were moving plants and jobs overseas on production as one of the most cynical political maneuvers he'd seen. So it's getting pretty raw here in the final weeks. Every voting counting, the economy issue number one here in Ohio.

COSTELLO: So it's not often you hear like a big business speak out about a Republican ad but I guess that would make GM look bad, too, right?

AVLON: No. Yes. But very unusual. They tried to stay out of it. And very unusual for a spokesman to unload that kind of harsh language against the Romney campaign in this particular ad.

COSTELLO: John Avlon reporting live from Youngstown, Ohio.

Today's "Talk Back" question. Will Sandy change the election? Facebook.com/carolcnn.

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COSTELLO: "Talk Back" question today -- simple and not so simple all at the same time. Will Superstorm Sandy change the election?

This from Theresa, "I would hope so. Governor Christie put politics aside in this disaster while Romney bunnyhops campaigning."

This from Julie, "Obama's toast. Leave no one behind? He left four to die in Benghazi."

This from Georges, "Nope, Obama will win hands down. Vote Obama and let's keep this country moving forward." Wow. That sounds like a campaign speech.

This from Sky. "I don't know that people will have time to vote. They're busy getting their lives back together. They need transportation. Their vehicles are flooded."

Please keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolcnn. Thanks as always for your comments.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

And good morning. Thank you so much for being with us.

We begin this hour with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and the full scope of the devastation that's just coming into view. These are new pictures that's just sent in to CNN just about an hour ago.

The storm's death toll just in the United States stands at 40. New York City police say 22 people died just within the city.

And take a look at these pictures from an NYPD helicopter. Across the region thousands of people had to be rescued from the flooded homes. Many were chased to their roof tops to escape the rising waters. And today as National Guards troops rolls into overwhelmed towns and village, normalcy seems so far out of reach.