*** Click Here for a complete photo gallery of Senator Menendez's tour of storm damage ***

NEWARK, N.J. - Following two previous tours on foot of New Jersey areas severely affected by Hurricane Sandy this week, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez took to the air today as a passenger on a U.S. Coast Guard fly-over of Jersey Shore communities to survey the damage sustained along the coast.

Senator Menendez and members of the Coast Guard took off this afternoon from Newark Liberty International Airport for a two-and-a-half hour flight that spanned all the way to Atlantic City and the surrounding communities. From the fly-over, Senator Menendez was able to see in greater totality the damage that was inflicted by Hurricane Sandy. -The shoreline was marked by flooded neighborhoods, beaches washed onto main thoroughfares, and the almost infamous sight of the Seaside Heights amusement rides strewn in the ocean waves.

"As I have said before, I'm a lifelong resident of New Jersey and I have never seen our state endure so much from a single storm. And even after walking through some of the affected communities, it was very moving to see the magnitude of the recovery effort we have before us from the vantage point our U.S. Coast Guard provided today. The fly-over further strengthened my resolve to do everything I can to help provide the federal resources we need to restore New Jersey to its beauty, greatness and prosperity. We learned this week that Mother Nature is in charge. But we also learned of the inner-angels that live within the people of New Jersey who are helping us all move to full recovery. I have no doubt whatsoever that, together, we will meet the challenges and emerge a better community of New Jersey."

Today's flight followed Senator Menendez's walks through the flooded communities of Moonachie and Little Ferry on Tuesday, where he witnessed Federal Emergency Management Agency teams rescuing residents trapped in their homes. Yesterday, he consoled residents of Oakland Avenue in Pleasantville, where homes were practically demolished by the storm, and visited the American Red Cross's shelter at Pleasantville High School. Senator Menendez also walked through a Brigantine neighborhood with President Barack Obama and N.J. Governor Chris Christie.

Senator Menendez expressed his thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard crew that made today's flight possible: pilots Lt. Susan Walters and Lt. j.g. Gary Kuehn, as well as Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Edenfield and Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Pierce.

They travelled in an HC-144 Ocean Sentry twin-prop airplane, the newest plane in the Coast Guard's platform. It is used for long duration surveillance missions.

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