Power outages impact millions across NortheastUPDATED REPORT
By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
EAST WINDSOR – As Hurricane Sandy sharpened its aim for New Jersey, the country waited.
Monday night, “Frankenstorm” did not hold back. It carried forth sustained winds up to 80-mph as a nor’easter, with a massive surge that laid waste upon coastal shores.
The National Hurricane Center issued hazardous warnings throughout the weekend ahead of Sandy, and that is what happened to the township of East Windsor.
High winds uprooted some trees and snapped them in half. Electric wires loose on wet streets were commonplace after the storm.
In Sandy’s aftermath, Hightstown escaped flooding while down power lines and broken trees crippled the roads of East Windsor Township. Thousands of residents of both towns were without power.
East Windsor municipal offices remained closed Thursday, having previously declared a state of emergency.
The morning after Sandy struck, 2.4 million New Jerseyans awoke without power. Wednesday, outages remained with full restoration expected by next week. Schools were closed county to county across Central Jersey.
While Hurricane Irene evolved into a tropical storm more than a year ago, Superstorm Sandy transformed into a hybrid-collection of roaring, rising water pushing northwest as extremely high winds pulled toward the Northeast’s inland with fury.
It created heavy Appalachian snows and flooded parts of downtown Manhattan. There was a full moon Monday night, which intensified Sandy’s surge upon New York City at 9 p.m.
The lack of power shut down everyday work duties and many New Jerseyans busied themselves with ways to stay warm Wednesday night. For some, it was getting cold.
In East Windsor, limited quantities of water and ice were made be available for distribution to residents at Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, 69 Twin Rivers Dr. Until power is restored in the township, residents may also charge their cell phones and smartphones at the fire station between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
In Hightstown, an emergency reception center has been set up at the Hightstown Fire Department for residents, between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will remain operational until power in town is restored. Folks have the option of charging their cell phones at battery recharging station there. The location also has heated area for people to stay warm, although it is not an overnight shelter.
While last August, Irene caused a massive flood downtown, this year, no flooding was reported after Sandy. On Saturday, borough officials lowered Peddie Lake.
In New York, 100 homes burned in Breezy Point, Queens, as Sandy’s impact was felt near and far. Sandy brought heavy snow to West Virginia.
The Department of Environmental Protection advised New Jersey residents to conserve water.
Sandy caused widespread power outages, which forced public and private water utilities to use emergency generators to treat and pump water, the DEP said Tuesday.
People were displaced and some houses were washed off their foundations along the Jersey Shore. Sandy’s surge covered beaches along the barrier islands. On Tuesday, rescues were underway to evacuate trapped people. Emergency responders carried men, women and children, from flooded areas.
In New Jersey, people saved their cats and dogs with the help of volunteers.
Also in New Jersey, people encouraged one another to support each other.
“Be careful and check in with your neighbors,” said Edward Forsthoffer, superintendent of the East Windsor Regional School District, on Oct. 30.
East Windsor and Hightstown schools were closed this week Monday through Friday.
Mr. Forsthoffer said on Thursday, “Unfortunately we still only have power to one of our schools so I will need to close the schools for Friday, Nov. 2. I am in daily contact with the police departments and others throughout both municipalities and once power is restored, we will do everything in our power to make sure that we open our schools as soon as possible.”
After the storm, New Jersey towns and school districts requested that people keep safe and stay indoors or off the roadways as much possible.
Electric crews worked to restore power while others began the cleanup of debris — including thousands of tree limbs.
Some places by the shore were still flooded Wednesday.
A report came in to the Packet Media Group of a business charging $8 for a quart in oil in Central Jersey. Folks waited in long lines to buy gasoline while some decried alleged price gouging.
Sandy did not cause injuries in Hightstown or East Windsor, as of press time, although power outages in both towns continued into November.
In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that aid had been made available to New Jersey to supplement state and local response efforts.
FEMA declared active disasters in multiple states including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and as north as Vermont and New Hampshire ahead of Sandy’s arrival.
As predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Sandy brought massive winds, coastal flooding, and hazardous conditions.
However, the storm brought less rain than was first anticipated.
“We got less than four inches of rain,” said Hightstown Borough Administrator Michael Theokas, noting that water never came over the downtown dam during Sandy. He said Peddie Lake was lowered by five or six feet as a preventive measure.
“The primary reason we didn’t get flooding is lack of rain,” he said on Thursday, adding that with Irene, the borough had a lot of water in a very short of time and, in contrast, Sandy brought a little water over a longer time period.
Approximately 80 percent of the borough was without power post Sandy, Mr. Theokas said.
He added that the borough has been in communication with JCP&L.
“All of the streets of the borough are clear right now,” Mr. Theokas said. “We’re going to be cleaning up for a couple of weeks.”
Regular garbage pickup and services will resume Nov. 5, he said, noting that the Borough Council meeting is still scheduled to take place Monday night at 7:30 p.m., 168 Bank St.
The borough reopened on Wednesday, although it was still operating without internet on Thursday.
“It was all hands on deck for that night,” Mr. Theokas said of local emergency, fire and police efforts during the storm.
“Nobody got injured,” he said. “We count ourselves very, very fortunate.”
Two days before Sandy hit, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency.
“I am urging all New Jerseyans to take every possible and reasonable precaution to ready themselves for the storm’s potential impact,” Gov. Christie said.
From Florida to New Hampshire, furious waves crashed against the East Coast for days as Sandy moved north. Across America, Hurricane Sandy was referred to as “Frankenstorm.” It struck New Jersey two days before Halloween.
After the storm, Gov. Christie said, “The state is too tough to give in to this kind of devastation.”
The governor announced Wednesday that trick-or-treating had been postponed across the state until Nov. 5.
“We’re providing (a place) for people to come,” said Chief Barry Rashkin of East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 in reference to his station, which is offering people a place to charge their phones. “It’s going to go on as long as needed.”
Most of Twin Rivers remained without power on Thursday, he said.
“Don’t burn any candles in the house, go out and get flash lights,” he said, noting that generators should be kept away from houses as they create carbon monoxide.
Chief Rashkin added that 15 volunteer firefighters were at the station during the storm, “They came down and served the public.”
“We are now seeing power coming back in different parts of town,” Mayor Steven Kirson said on Thursday. “Things are starting to normalize.”
The mayor added that during the storm, Hightstown Engine Fire Co. No. 1 members at the station “were ready to roll” to help residents as needed.
“The winds were very strong,” Mayor Kirson said of Sandy.
However, “Downtown never lost power,” Mayor Kirson said. “The restaurants have been busy.”
Ahead of Sandy, “We were meeting continuously the week prior to the storm,” he said.
“We had truckloads of sand delivered,” Mayor Kirson said. He noted that Peddie School students, as many as 70, came downtown on Friday and Saturday to make hundreds of sandbags to help protect businesses and infrastructure.
Last week, East Windsor Public Works sent some of its personnel to help to remove leaves from the borough’s storm drains, Mayor Kirson said. “They came in and helped us out which was greatly appreciated.”
Packet Media Group was unable to reach East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov as of press time.
The East Windsor Police Department said that the township was continuing in its recovery from the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
“The township experienced widespread power outages, as well as numerous road closures as a result of wind damage to trees and power poles,” said a Police Department press release on Sandy issued Thursday afternoon. “At the time of this report, the south side area of Twin Rivers and an area of the township between Hickory Corner Road and Hankins Road had power.”
Resulting from Sandy, police said that there was one motor vehicle accident with minor injuries reported 2:54 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.
Police said that two vehicles entered the intersection of Route 33 and Route 130 which, due to the power loss, had no traffic signal.
One of the drivers, who was attempting to cross Route 130 on Route 33, was transported to RWJ Hamilton Hospital with a complaint of neck and back pain, police said.
East Windsor police said that while there were no other storm-related injuries known as of Thursday, the reporting of such incidents may be delayed due to area power outages.
In was unknown as of press time when power would be fully restored to the residents of East Windsor and Hightstown.
Thursday evening, an East Windsor alert said that power had been restored to the township municipal building. For the first time since Sandy, township offices were set to open Friday, Nov. 2, during normal operating hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Most major roads in East Windsor have reopened. However, as of the Thursday night municipal update, due to downed poles and wires, portions of these roads remained closed: Conover Road (between 130 and Woods Road); Dorchester Drive (between both Exeter Road intersections); Windsor-Perrineville Road (at Allens Road); and Old York Road (South of Turnpike at Peddie Golf Course).

