EWING – Gov. Chris Christie is back on the ground after surveying damage from Hurricane Sandy and is expected to brief the media within hours.

The latest update comes after the governor took a four-and-a-half-hour helicopter tour of Jersey’s coast Tuesday. He made stops in Avalon and Belmar, where he was greeted by residents who told him that they had “lost everything,” said Walter Patrickis, of Belmar.

“I was just here walking this place this summer and the fact that most of it is gone is just incredible,” Christie said to Belmar’s mayor, Matt Doherty.

The governor warned residents it could take seven to 10 days for power to be restored to some of the 2.4 million who were left in the dark in the wake of the super storm.

“Now we've got a big task ahead of us that we have to do together. This is the kind of thing New Jerseyans are built for – we're plenty tough and now we have a little more reason to be angry after this,” Christie said. “Just what we need in New Jersey, a chance to be a little more angry.”