Area emerges from weekend storm relatively unscathed

By Vanessa S. Holt, Managing Editor

County officials said residents successfully prepared for the tropical storm that blew through on Saturday, and no serious injuries or damage occurred in the county over the weekend.

            “We were fortunate and we are grateful that there were no serious injuries and damage was minimal,’’ Freeholder Aubrey Fenton said. “I sincerely believe that the residents of Burlington County paid attention to the warnings, were prudent and proceeded with caution and allowed our emergency personnel to do their jobs. I am proud of our residents.

“And I want to thank our county employees who worked diligently to ensure that we were well-prepared and addressed every situation professionally. I am genuinely appreciative.’’

Mr. Fenton said all five sections of the Highway Department, which deployed crews beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday, reported minimal debris around the county and that traffic throughout the day was well below normal.  Residents can report debris or flooding on county roads to the Highway Department at 609-265-5717.

            Tropical Storm Hanna dumped an estimated 4-6 inches on most of the county accompanied with gusting winds as high as 40 mph over a five-hour period.

PSE&G reported minimal damage with approximately 600 residents without power. There were two roads closed during the storm because of low wires and a downed pole, according to county officials.

 

The National Weather Service had posted flash flood warnings for most of South Jersey by 5 p.m. Saturday and the NWS issued a tornado warning for all of Burlington County until 7:30 p.m. but no ‘’touchdowns’’ were reported. The NWS confirmed the report of a tornado in Allentown, Pa. but could not confirm, said county officials.