Obama surveys Sandy disaster in NJ

NBC's Lester Holt reports from New Jersey, where Superstorm Sandy ripped apart the coastline, leaving millions without power. By Miguel Llanos, NBC News President Barack Obama was in New Jersey surveying its battered coastline on Wednesday, as the state and 15 others dealt with cleanup and power outages two days after Superstorm Sandy tore through. Obama boarded a helicopter for an aerial survey with N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican and vocal backer of presidential challenger Mitt Romney who nevertheless has praised Obama and the federal response to the storm. Christie earlier said he would ask the president to task the Army Corps of Engineers with how "to rebuild the beach to protect these towns." But, he added, "it won't be the same because some of the iconic things are washed into the ocean." Christie on Wednesday ordered that Halloween trick-or-treating be moved to Monday due to unsafe conditions. Aerial footage of the coastline Wednesday morning showed mile after mile of destruction: a neighborhood on fire, others swamped by sand and evacuations still happening in places with high water. NBC's Lester Holt walks through a destroyed restaurant in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., which has been completely filled with sand by Sandy. Recovery operations on Wednesday got a boost from the Navy, which ordered three helicopter carrier ships to the New Jersey and New York coasts, officials told NBC News. The USS Wasp, USS Carter Hall, and USS Mesa Verde will provide landing platforms for Coast Guard, National Guard and civilian agency helicopters if needed, the officials said, adding that the Atlantic Fleet command made the decision in the name of "prudent planning." Wall Street reopened Wednesday, as did some airports, but 6 million homes and businesses -- two thirds in New Jersey and New York -- were without power Wednesday morning. Aerial footage reveals devastation from New York City to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Two days after landfall, Sandy was still impacting areas from the Atlantic coast to as far inland as Chicago: In New York City, three of seven flooded East River tunnels were cleared of water on Wednesday and some subway service was set to resume Thursday. Bus service was restored and some train service was set to start Wednesday afternoon. The U.N. Security Council had to relocate because of water damage to parts of U.N. headquarters in Manhattan.  Fires that destroyed more than a dozen homes in a New Jersey shore town rekindled overnight due to natural gas leaks, NBCNewYork.com reported. Other communities up and down the coast also saw fires destroy homes. National Guard troops were evacuating flooded neighborhoods in Hoboken, N.J., NBCNewYork.com reported. "About 20,000 people still remain in their homes, and we're trying to put together an evacuation plan, get the equipment here," Mayor Dawn Zimmer told MSNBC Tuesday night.  New Jersey's barrier islands were literally reshaped by the surge of water, NBC's Al Roker reported. More than three feet of snow fell in parts of West Virginia, where 225,000 homes and businesses were without power Wednesday morning. Red House, Md., saw 30 inches of snow. In Chicago, forecasters warned high waves and flooding are possible on the Lake Michigan shore on Wednesday. Sandy caused waves up to two-stories high on the Great Lakes Tuesday, forcing cargo ships -- some longer than three football fields -- to seek shelter. "We don't stop for thunderstorms and flurries," said Glen Nekvasil, spokesman for lake cargo association. "But this was just too much." In New Haven, Conn., Sandy blew down a tree that uprooted human remains and what appeared to be a time capsule.  Helicopter aerials show an out-of-control blaze burning in Mantoloking, N.J., a community left devastated by Superstorm Sandy. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports. Winter storm warnings and advisories remained in effect for parts of southwestern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, West Virginia, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, and extreme western North Carolina. An additional 2 to 4 inches of snow were expected in the mountains of West Virginia into western Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania. Interactive storm tracker Sandy leaves trail of destruction, disbelief Sandy has claimed at least 47 lives in the U.S., after killing at least 71 in the Caribbean. In New Jersey, aerial footage Wednesday showed fires raging among storm-damaged homes and sand pushed inland, with TODAY's Natalie Morales reporting from the air that she counted some 25 separate points of flame. Boats that Morales said had been "tossed as if toys" could be seen piled up next to wrecked houses in the area.  The National Guard has arrived in Hoboken, N.J., to give much-needed help to people trapped in their homes by flooding. Many of the city's streets are still under multiple feet of water. NBC's Natalie Morales takes an aerial view. BreakingNews.com's coverage of Sandy In Hoboken, across from Manhattan, live wires dangled in floodwaters that were rapidly mixing with sewage. The lower half of Manhattan remained without power after a transformer explosion at a Con Edison substation Monday night. Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast. Two of the area's three major airports --  Kennedy in New York and Newark Liberty -- reopened with limited service on Wednesday. New York's LaGuardia Airport was flooded and remained closed. Nearly 19,000 flights have been canceled since Sunday. Sunday's New York Marathon is still on, but flying in runners from out of town will be tricky. NBC Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. More content from NBCNews.com: Sandy leaves trail of destruction, disbelief in its path Volunteers rush in to help devastated region recover 'There was no stopping it': Sandy's surge inundates northern NJ towns Breezy point: 'Whatever is not flooded is on fire' Sandy leaves NYC subway system, infrastructure licking its wounds New York's post-Sandy divide: Those with power and those without Stranded by Sandy, air travelers eager to change status Sandy hammers Jersey Shore, levels homes, shreds boardwalks By the numbers: Superstorm Sandy Foot of snow: Sandy brings blizzard conditions to West Virginia News sites knocked out as NYC data center floods Storm seen as unlikely to delay election Your images of Sandy's fury Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook