Downed Lines Lead Police to Recommend Early Trick-or-Treating

Saturday's nor'easter seemed to hit every tree in Warren—piles of branches and leaves line the roads and litter lawns. Toppled trees pulled power lines down, or often, snapped them.

Township crews and volunteers with the fire companies began cleaning up the debris they could Saturday, according to Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Jane Asch, but any tangled in utility lines must wait for power company crews to arrive.

"JCP&L is in town doing everything possible to get power restored," Asch said, but she added the damage is more widespread than it was following August's Hurricane Irene, when several thousand residents were without power for more than five days.

Two JCP&L trucks were setting up on Round Top Road to begin untangling the massive problems affecting power in that area—while trees, branches and wires are draped across the roads in several places, thick wires hang nearly to the ground about 100 feet north of Mt. Horeb Road.  

The workers are getting an earful from residents, who are appreciative of the crews efforts but dismayed at the repeat of the problems encountered just weeks ago.

The company's website has been crashing, eliminating one source of information for residents on the work towards repairing electrical connections.

Mayor Gary DiNardo and other area officials have been holding afternoon conference calls with utility and OEM officials daily, one step added after Irene left residents without information or power for days.

In discussing tonight's trick-or-treating, the township is asking kids to go early to avoid possibly coming into contact with a downed line.

"While mindful that today is Halloween, due to the extensive damage caused by Saturday's storm, the Warren Police Department strongly recommends that no children by allowed to trick-or-treat without proper adult supervision," a statement by police said. "The department further strongly recommends that all Halloween activity by concluded no later than dusk."

Noting the lack of power to traffic signals is snarling traffic in town, Chief of Police Russell Leffert said the department has placed portable signs but asks residents to be patient. 

"We understand traffic's a nightmare," Chief Leffert said. "(We hope people will) use common sense until we get power back up."

Township Committee members have reportedly been meeting with residents, and the Office of Emergency Management is opening a "warming shelter" for residents without power to head as temperatures drop into the low-20s at night. The shelter will be at Stonecrest Community Church, with Wi-fi Internet and electrical service for residents to recharge cell phones or laptops, in needed. Members of the township Community Emergency Response Team will be staffing the shelter.

For more information, or if you have any questions, contact the OEM at 908-753-8000, ext. 322, until 9 p.m.

To stay current with updates on Warren.Patch, be sure to downlad the Patch app for your mobile phone and sign up for our Twitter feed @WarrenPatch.