"All I will say is we will do whatever it takes, " Mr. Ragonese, the state spokesman, said.

WSJ: Homeowners Draw a Line in the Sand Over Dunes

Their relatives all survived relatively unscathed, said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection.

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"The rest of the family members miraculously were virtually unscathed -- a couple of scratches, but nothing to them, " Ragonese told CNN.

CNN: Record heat, storms bring despair, 'horror'