Atlantic City Underwater As Hurricane Sandy Looms With 6 PM Landfall Expected

Update: 7:35 pm EDT

Atlantic City, reportedly still underwater due to pre-coastal flooding, is currently being walloped by Hurricane Sandy.

Dark has fallen on the coastal Jersey Shore city, and with it, harsh words from New Jersey State Governor Chris Christie for residents who failed to evacuate before the eye of the storm hit the beleaguered seaside town.

During a 5:30 pm press briefing (video below), Chris Christie tore into Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford for not urging residents of the low-lying area to evacuate, defying Christie’s orders. The governor said “gave them comfort for some reason to stay,” and that at the time of the briefing there was ”no other way … to go in and get them.”

Christie added that Atlantic City residents were “going to have to ride out the storm there until at least 7 o’clock tomorrow morning,” and continued:

“I cannot in good conscience send rescuers in as the storm is about to hit in the next hour, nor can I send them in in the dark given all the various hazards that would occur potentially for them.”

Not to put too fine a point on it, Christie lectured the stranded residents of Atlantic City, admonishing them:

“So for those of you who are on the barrier islands who decided it was better idea to wait this out than to evacuate, and for those elected officials who decided to ignore my admonition, this is now your responsibility … We will not be able to come and help you until daylight tomorrow.”

Christie also took to Twitter to reach residents he may have otherwise been unable to chide, tweeting:

I am very disappointed in those who did not listen to my order to evacuate.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 29, 2012

Christie added:

You are going to be shocked when you see the images coming out of the Jersey Shore.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 29, 2012

However, Christie had some words of praise for the president in a show of bipartisanship unusual for this campaign, tweeting:

President Obama then said if I needed anything to call him directly. I appreciated that leadership and I will if/when we do.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 29, 2012

Original story:

Atlantic City is underwater as Hurricane Sandy threatens, with the storm expected to make landfall in the Jersey Shore hotspot at between six and seven pm tonight.

Atlantic City’s underwater status has been heavily documented on Twitter as users upload shocking accounts and images about the devastation that has been recorded even before Hurricane Sandy has officially hit the city.

Twitter users following as Atlantic City is underwater have been posting about brave weatherman from CNN Ali Velshi “literally swims” in the floodwaters currently soaking the much beloved vacation spot.

For the most part, Twitter is concerned about Velshi’s safety in an underwater Atlantic City and tweeted:

Poor Ali Velshi stuck in Atlantic City. I really don’t understand why we bother sending reporters into the heart of the storm. Not worth it.

— B.H.Bavalia (@bhavinforapples) October 29, 2012

“Atlantic City’s public safety director says most of the city is under water” as #Sandy approaches washingtonpost.com/blogs/liveblog… — Kevin Matthews (@archweek) October 29, 2012

This guy is getting blown away in the middle of the road in Atlantic City, and CNN is talking to AC’s mayor. Cannot make this stuff up. — Jake Pavorsky (@JakePavorsky) October 29, 2012

Happy Birthday, @alivelshi! Keep up the great coverage in Atlantic City. Mad props. #Sandy #NJ

— Reporter (@LibertyZabala) October 29, 2012

Others have tweeted generally about the damage in an underwater Atlantic City, with tweets including:

Many reliable sources on twitter reporting Atlantic City is totally “under water”. fb.me/vaU8nZkH

— Jason Asselin (@DaRogueReporter) October 29, 2012

Instagram is also lighting up with images of Atlantic City underwater, and most reveal a devastation even greater than expected for the still-to-come ravages of Hurricane Sandy.