Trees were uprooted when a violent wind and rain storm swept through Howell on the evening of July 29. PHOTO COURTESY OF HOWELL TOWNSHIP HOWELL— According to the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management, the storm that hit the area on the evening of July 29 did most of its damage in Howell.
According to Township Manager Helene Schlegel, about 4,000 residents were without power on July 30, but all power had been restored as of the afternoon of Aug. 1.
Officials surveyed the storm damage west of Route 9 — where the worst damage occurred — and Howell public works employees worked over the weekend to clear downed trees from the roads, Schlegel said.
Additional crews were called in from Pennsylvania to assist in repairs to some of the hardest-hit areas.
“Despite the severity of the storm and the damage to property, the township is thankful that no deaths or serious injuries that are directly attributed to the storm have been reported,” Schlegel said.
Because of the extensive number of fallen trees and amount of damage caused by the storm, the Township Council has authorized a special one-time pickup of trees and branches onAug. 8, the manager said.
Anyone putting brush out after Aug. 8 may be subject to a code enforcement violation, Schlegel added.
Recycling center hours have been temporarily changed due to the severity of the storm. The center will be open every day now throughAug. 14 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We would be grateful to any residents who have the ability to bring the brush to the recycling center. With the amount of damage and downed trees throughout town, it would be of great assistance to us,” Schlegel said. “All Howell residents should take great pride in the community spirit and sacrifice displayed by many of our residents in providing assistance to their fellow neighbors in time of need.”