Power has been restored to all long-term care communities, hospitals and other critical care facilities in Burlington County, but several county roads remain closed as cleanup from Tropical Storm Isaias continued on Aug. 6.
“Two days after the storm and we’re still cleaning up, but good progress is being made,” Freeholder Dan O’Connell, the board’s liaison to the county departments of Public Safety and Public Works, said in a prepared statement. “We’re grateful that our long-term care communities and critical care buildings have their power back, but far too many residences are still without electricity.”
Just under 20,000 homes and businesses in Burlington County are still awaiting restoration, including 6,100 in Pemberton Township and around 4,000 each in Willingboro and Edgewater Park.
Public Service Electric & Gas continues to distribute ice and water from a comfort station at the Kennedy Center on John F. Kennedy Way in Willingboro and outside the Lumberton Municipal Building on Municipal Drive.
Jersey Central Power & Light is also distributing water and ice from the Browns Mills Acme on Broadway Street in Pemberton Township.
Damage assessments have started but are still in the early stages as municipalities continue to focus their efforts on cleanup and road clearing.
A total of seven county roads remain closed as of 6 p.m. Aug. 6. They roads are:
- Crowshaw Road, between Jones Mill and Route 665 in North Hanover
- Wrightstown-Georgetown Road, between Access Highway and Sykesville Road, in North Hanover;
- Old York Road, between Route 543 and Neck Road, in Springfield (local traffic only);
- Moorestown-Mount Laurel Road in Mount Laurel;
- Levitt Parkway at Charleston Road in Willingboro;
- Hainesport-Mount Laurel Road, between Greentree and Academy Drive in Mount Laurel (one lane closed);
- Eayrestown Road, between Landing Street and Municipal Drive, in Lumberton.
In addition to storm cleanup, the Burlington County Department of Health held its ninth mobile COVID-19 testing clinic at the Kennedy Center in Willingboro the morning of Aug. 6. A total of 200 residents were tested, bringing the total number of tests administered by the county since March up to 7,954.
Another mobile testing clinic is scheduled to be held on Aug. 7 from 9-11 a.m. at Pemberton Township High School on Arney’s Mount Road. The clinic was previously scheduled for Aug. 4 but was postponed due to the storm.
“Getting these clinics up and running so soon after the storm is a testament to our Health Department and all our first responders and volunteers. It also shows how important testing is,” O’Connell said in the statement.