After Two Disasters in Less Than a Year, Can the Jersey Shore Recover?

"Nearly a year after Hurricane Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore, a boardwalk that was just rebuilt was ravaged by fire on Thursday, as a blaze that began at an iconic ice cream shop quickly engulfed businesses along a stretch of beach in two towns," reports Kate Zernike. 

"Standing in front of emergency vehicles in Seaside Heights, [Gov. Chris Christie] called the blaze 'unthinkable.' When he heard the news, the governor said, “I said to my staff, ‘I feel like I want to throw up.’ ”

"The fire was a devastating setback to an area that could little afford one as it struggled to get back on its feet nearly a year after Hurricane Sandy," adds Zernike. "The towns, along a sliver of barrier island, suffered the worst of the storm’s damage."