iradiophilly | News - New Jersey and Pennsylvania slowly recovering from Hurricane Sandy aka Superstorm (Frankenstorm)

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New Jersey and Pennsylvania slowly recovering from Hurricane Sandy aka Superstorm (Frankenstorm)

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 11/04/12 12:25 am | updated: 11/04/12 12:26 am

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy the area is slowly recovering and getting back on it's feet. Cleanup efforts have begun all around Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, mostly dealing with hundreds of downed trees and wires. Most residents down the Jersey Shore just got access to return to see the extent of the damage to their residences and are shocked by the sight of their homes. There is a long road ahead for the shore towns where the streets are full of feet of sand like a giant snow storm that won't melt, ocean front houses teetering on their pylons or blown off completely, boats piled up like toys in marinas, and water damage from ocean touching the bay flooding through many house's first floors. Not to mention they are still without gas and electric service.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said today that it's time to move forward. â€œI want the people in New Jersey to know that we have a lot ahead of us to get over the storm but it doesnâ€™t mean we have to do it alone. We work on it together.â€ He said that the storm will not be forgotten, but the time for mourning is over, it's time to rebuild. A ban on contractors and insurance adjusters has been lifted allowing home owners and business owners to start to work on the damage caused by the hurricane.

Federal Emergency Management Agency offices field offices opened Friday at Cape May Court House. More FEMA offices are expected to open in New Jersey in coming days to help residents get cash and food assistance and apply for other federal help. So far over 49,000 have applied for aid in NJ. For assistance you may call 800-621-3362 or go to the FEMA website.

Gov. Christie has instituted gas rationing starting at noon on Saturday. Hurricane Sandy has disrupted fuel deliveries and left about 75% of gas stations north of I-175 still without power (about 10% below I-175). This has created long lines and disorderly sale of gas. The counties included in the rationing are: these counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Residents with license plates ending in odd numbers can buy gas on odd-numbered days, and residents with plates ending in even numbers can purchase gas on even-numbered days. Specialized plates and those not bearing numbers are considered odd-numbered. Many NJ residents are even crossing the Delaware river and filling up at Pennsylvania stations to avoid the lines, despite the higher prices.

New Jerseyeans will all be able to vote on Tuesday, if not before. Gov. Christie assured all registered voters that they will be able to cast their ballots in this year's general election. Trucks will be set up outside polling places throughout the state that do not have power and voters will be able to use paper ballots. You can also vote early by go to the county clerk's office through Monday. They'll be open at least 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Text 877877 with your address on Tuesday or log onto www.elections.nj.gov to learn the location of your polling place.

Many New Jersey students will be returning to classes on Monday morning, state education officials said. Many districts were closed all last week as Hurricane Sandy knocked out power and damaged buildings. School officials will wait until late Sunday afternoon to make a decision on some of the hardest hit areas of the state.

In Pennsylvania, warming stations are opening up for residents who are still without power and heat. Lower Merion township has warming stations, which are kind of like day shelters, set up at all of the township fire companies open from 11 a.m. â€“ 5 p.m. Community members can stop by to warm up, charge electronics, get a cup of coffee etc.

SEPTA is sending thirty buses to help NJ Transit on Sunday. NJ Transit's light rail and commuter rail systems have been damaged and requested assistance from SEPTA. The buses will be used to help shuttle riders into New York City. The reduction in bus fleet should not impact Philadelphia area passengers.

The hardest hit areas in our area remain to be in Montgomery and Bucks county, where PECO is still working to restore power to all of their customers. This storm was the most damaging in company history, affecting more than 850,000 customers. The previous record was 549,000 during an ice storm in 1994. They have made many in roads with only 50,000 left without power. In many communities throughout the area groups of volunteers have begun to help out the community as they can. Today, in Central Bucks, a grass roots, social media driven group called Bux-Mont Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Team spread out over Bucks county lending a hand with tree removal, cleanup, and outreach. They'll be at it again on Sunday.

North Wales Running Company will be collecting gently worn shoes and sneakers to bring to a sister store, Runner's High in Freehold, NJ, to help out those who lost in the storm. Both stores are run by former Villanova Track and Cross Country athletes. You can drop off your donations to NWRC at Main St. and Walnut in North Wales, PA in Montgomery County on Sunday and Monday. More Info on donations

Going forward we all must band together and help out our neighbors as much as we can. That might mean sending a donation, volunteering on a clean up crew, sending water and food, or helping a friend with their shore home, however you are inclined. Next week, meteorologists are predicting another Nor'Easter to affect the area on Wednesday and Thursday bringing rain and wind up the coast. This won't be as powerful as Sandy, but still a strong system that will hit our vulnerable region.

Latest power outages. 10:00pm Sat.
PECO: 40,000
JCP&L: 530,806
AC Electric: 10,134
PSE&G: 607,000
PPL: 31,023
Delmarva: Restored