National Geographic: When the waters finally receded, Mantoloking, New Jersey, resembled a war zone. All 521 houses in the borough, a seaside enclave on a barrier island about halfway down the state's coast, had suffered damage. Sixty cottages had gone up in flames after natural gas lines ruptured.
A week after Superstorm Sandy struck, when residents were finally bussed back to survey the damage, there was no power or running water. Massive piles of debris filled streets, yards, and patios. Boats from the local yacht...