Water overwhelms Hoboken

>> you. these emergencies are still coming into us tonight, as well, across this vast region, including one happening in a densely packed, tightly inhabited urban area , just across the hudson river from new york city , in hoboken , new jersey, correspondent katy tur has been covering there for us all day, good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, brian, for the first time since monday night people are able to leave their homes to get a good sense of what the damage is. but the water is still very high in a number of these areas, and they're not expecting it to be fully gone until at least tomorrow night. 20,000 people trapped, hoboken became a virtual island as 20,000 gallons of water overwhelmed the town. the national guard came in to help, delivering much needed food and supplies to those still stranded.

>> one thing we truly need is more feel.

>> reporter: the hoboken mayor.

>> we need more fuel, resources, so anybody who is listening to this in the city of hoboken or neighboring towns who can get to us, we ask you to come and deliver your supplies.

>> reporter: as the length of this mixture of water, sewer, and oil turned into ponds, some got their first chance to assess the damage. how does it smell in there?

>> i don't want to know.

>> reporter: like pretty much every one else, this man got four feet of water, he has a home in monmouth beach .

>> trying to stay strong for our family. we have two houses devastated.

>> reporter: upstairs and inside for almost 72 hours , his wife, lisa, is trying to remain calm.

>> monday night was probably the most terrifying night of my life , hearing the transformers exploding, the car alarms dying.

>> reporter: officials say it will take at least two days to pump out all of this water, a grim reality that this town of 50,000 is only now starting to understand. eight miles away in newark, they're without power. in an interview on thursday, booker urged residents to remain calm.

>> we need neighbors helping neighbors tonight.

>> reporter: as for john and lisa, they have only received reports from neighbors and the news is not good. now, we sent a crew down to the monmouth beach house, unfortunately, there is still pretty extensive damage. back in hoboken , there are four fires here, three areas closed because of all the flooding.

>> well, katy, where you are in hoboken , where we are on the jersey shore , and for folks watching this it really is what it feels like this this region tonight.