Ortley Beach Residents to Return Home February 4th

Residents in a Jersey shore community among the hardest-hit by Superstorm Sandy will start moving back home on Feb. 4.

Officials say a state of emergency will be lifted in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River at 8 a.m. that day, paving the way for residents with all their utilities in place to return.

Located just north of Seaside Heights, Ortley Beach was devastated by the storm, with hundreds of homes destroyed, roads washed away and infrastructure systems severely damaged. Its residents have chafed at being kept out while those in nearby towns have gradually received the OK to go back home.

Some residents are still barred from returning home, because some sections are still so damaged that utility crews can't put up poles to re-connect electrical service.

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