UPDATE: Some Residents Still Without Power, Flood Waters Recede

Irene may be gone but the power outages, flooding and damage she left behind continue to be problematic for area residents as well as the borough. Areas near the Passaic River and the Police Department are also damaged from the storm and in need of repair.

On Thursday afternoon, Mayor J. Brooke Hern said the borough continues to be in constant contact with JCP&L to get power restored in all New Providence households and has increased police presence in the areas affected by power outages. In addition, he said the borough will be submitting an application to FEMA for grant money to help restore damaged areas and has appropriated funds to replace the Police Department’s 9-1-1 system, which was damaged during the storm.

POWER OUTAGES

As of 11:45 p.m., 52 households in New Providence are still without power, while 455 households in Murray Hill and 1,228 households in Summit are without power, according to the JCP&L website.

Hern said the borough has been in contact with JCP&L multiple times a day since the storm in order to get power restored for all residents in New Providence.

“Today is no different,” Hern said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. “I guess there is some issue as to how many residences were reported to us. Most recently, I guess there are now 60 New Providence homes that have been without power, but I guess there is the possibility that [JCP&L] isn’t giving us correct numbers because they’re classifying some New Providence residences being in Murray Hill or in Summit.”

But Hern said the power company’s assessment of how many people are now without power in New Providence has no impact on the borough’s efforts to get all power restored.

“I want to assure the community that the way in which the power company is grouping people in terms of numbers of residences that are without power has just no bearing whatsoever on the borough’s efforts to communicate with JCP&L and get every New Providence household powered again,” Hern said.

Thursday morning, Hern said he thinks there was the impression that “if you live in Tall Oaks or you live in Murray Hill that the borough government isn’t talking to JCP&L about them and that’s just not the case. We are, regardless of what those numbers say.”

POLICE PRESENCE IN POWERLESS AREAS

Hern said the borough knows where the power outages are in the borough and he has asked Chief of Police Anthony Buccelli to step up the patrols in neighborhoods that continue to be without power.

“I think increased police presence can only benefit those neighborhoods just because their alarm systems are not working because they have no power and there may be some people who aren’t even home because they are staying with friends or relatives,” Hern said. “So increased police presence is certainly warranted. I've asked the Chief of Police to do that and that’s been put into effect immediately.”

DAMAGES IN NEW PROVIDENCE

Hern said Borough Administrator Doug Marvin, Director of Public Works Jim Johnston and Borough Engineer Andrew Hipolit toured through the stream bank areas of the borough on Thursday to assess the damages from Hurricane Irene.

“The borough engineer is preparing a report and we’ll come up with an action plan for all the necessary clean-up along by the stream bank,” Hern said. “The report that the borough engineer will produce will also be submitted to FEMA to the extent that we can get any kind of government funding for clean-ups and repairs to the stream banks and the areas around that.”

While Hern did not know when Hipolit would complete his report, he said the Borough Council will view the report, and the borough will move as quickly as needed.

“I was consulting with the borough attorney and these are emergency items that don’t require that at this point so in emergent circumstances such as this, there’s some leeway on the part of the executive branch to take quick action,” Hern said. “We don’t want to wait and miss out on money because of the council schedule. So we’re going to move ahead as quickly as possible, keep the council informed on what is going on and ask them to approve our emergency actions.”

MONEY APPROPRIATED TO REPLACE 9-1-1 SYSTEM

Hern said the digital telephone system at the Municipal Center was damaged during Hurricane Irene and no calls are currently going through the Police Department’s digital 9-1-1 system. Therefore, he has authorized an emergency appropriation of funds to immediately install a new 9-1-1 system.

“The police have been on those old POTS [plain old telephone service] lines. Basically it’s non-digital analog service so nothing is going through the digital 9-1-1 system that we have in place because that was damaged,” Hern said. “We have looked into making the repairs. The phone system is antiquated. To begin with, it would take us several weeks to get all of the parts, if we can get them all, to make the repairs. With that an issue and the need to have the digital 9-1-1 system up and operating, I have authorized an emergency appropriation of $16,000 to immediately put in a new system for the Police Department. I’ll ask the council to approve that when we meet on the 12th.”

FLOODING

As of Thursday afternoon, most of the flood waters receded from Charnwood Road and a few cross streets, and were re-opened to traffic.

Most of the water that was sitting in the Skin Deep Day Spa parking lot and the Presbyterian Church's parking lot has also receded or dried up.

While Central Avenue at the Chatham border remains flooded, some of the water has receded. But the street is still closed off to traffic at Springfield Avenue.