In a clip, the Katie host looks horrified as she surveys rubble and busted buildings as neighbors muscled away at their cleanup and rebuilding tasks in the Rockaways and on Staten Island.
In studio, Bon Jovi, talked about his home town, Sayreville, Middlesex County, resembling Armageddon:
"I was shocked. I was in London, and like many other people, I didn't listen to the warnings and I told my family, 'This will pass.' Irene last year, we were dancing on the beach. We didn't take it very seriously," he said.
"When I got home, and until you're home, you don't realize the enormity of the disaster. And so right off the plane, I went right to my hometown to witness the devastation. The flood plane was so high that people ultimately - they have to raze these houses. There's no bringing them back; they're just done."
His pay-what-you-want restaurant, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, has been cranking out meals for those in need.
"Our restaurant, it's 30 seats. Yesterday, we served and shipped out 500 dinners and 300 lunches," he told Couric. "And every one of those meals was needed and gone. My wife's down there today, and the only reason I'm here is to get this word out, but I'm heading down there now."
Couric also orchestrated donations from businesses, including $50,000 in supplies from HiTouch Business Services and Lowe's, and $50,000 from Discover Home Loans, half for Buscemi's charity, Friends of Firefighters, and half for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation striving to rebuild Staten Island.
More donation ideas can be found at www.KatieCouric.com/donate.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
