Businesses Hope Beach-Goers Return To Storm-Damaged South Jersey Areas

By Ian Bush

SOMERS POINT, NJ (CBS) - After Friday's storms, tens of thousands of Atlantic City electric customers still don't have power this morning in South Jersey, most of them in Atlantic and Cumberland Counties. It could be a few more days before everyone is back online.

Some businesses along parts of the coast are feeling the pain -- even the ones who do have power.

Reminders of the wicked weather litter the streets in Somers Point.

"We still have a lot of trees down, we still have trees and wires, we have brush everywhere," but Mayor Jack Glasser says for some, the problem is much more acute.

"We still have residents without power and businesses without power."

And with some beachgoers hearing that their lights might not get turned back on for days, Mayor Glasser says there seem to be fewer people around than a normal Fourth of July week.

"It's going to hurt us commercially, but we're so happy and fortunate that we're still here to talk about it."

The Windjammer Bar and Grill was in the dark all weekend.

"Craziest thunderstorm I've ever seen," says co-owner Jimmy Tiniakos. She says the power zapped off in the middle of lunch on Saturday.

"A lot of people came back to pay, because the credit card machine was down. So they actually came back and paid their checks, once they got cash."

They're swiping and serving again now, but what should have been a busy run-up to the holiday was a bust.

"Of course it has an effect. But we had such a great winter this year."

Still plenty of time for a great summer, too, he says, with the power on in most shore businesses.

The power never went off at Ventura's Greenhouse in Margate.

"It flickered Friday night with that storm, but Saturday and Sunday we had power all day."

But, bartender Hector Vasquez says it hasn't been as packed as it should be, with everyone off for the Fourth.

"A lot of people did leave, especially like Longport. They said their power wasn't coming back for two days, so there wasn't any point in staying here."

Now, he's trying to get the message out: there are plenty of places open for business.