Finally, the sighs of relief can be heard louder than the power generators: As of 4 a.m. this morning, only 45% of the town is still without power as a result of the freak October snowstorm.
According to Verona Police Captain Mitchell Stern, power has notably been restored to East and West Lincoln streets and the northern end of Grove Avenue, past F.N. Brown elementary school. The southern end of the F.N. Brown district is still without power, as are other areas of town. But Stern said that, according to information he had been given by PSE&G, 95% of Verona should be back on line by Thursday. (No word yet on the power situation at Verona’s schools, but we’re checking.)
Users of MyVeronaNJ.com’s Facebook and Twitter pages are confirming that power has been restored to many areas. Wayland Drive in the Brookdale section, Willow Terrace (Laning) and Cypress Avenue (F.N. Brown) and Fairview Avenue past Verona High School. But lower Hillside Avenue and Franklin Street on the west side of the Peckman River are still out.
Since 12:18 p.m. on Saturday, when the VPD got its first storm-related call, it has responded to 637 calls for assistance and written up 99 incidents, including six accident reports. Stern said the call volume is a 500% increase from his department’s normal rate. Stern did not yet have statistics on calls to the Verona Fire Department and Rescue Squad. UPDATE: The Fire Department has responded to 45 incidents and the Rescue Squad 17.
The police meet once a day with Verona’s Emergency Management and Public Works Departments and emergency service volunteers, “and we exchange hundreds of messages a day,” said Stern.
“I cannot say enough about Chuck Molinaro and his crew, and the police, fire and Rescue Squad teams” Stern said of the Public Works chief and the town’s first responders. “They are doing unbelievable stuff with limited resources.”
Stern said that, in an effort to improve communication with the public, the VPD has implemented a new text message alert service called Nixle. The service, which the department began testing last year, sends alerts to cell phones. The Verona Police Department hopes this will broaden its current alert system, which only goes to e-mail. “I know passing information to the public is important,” said Stern.
You can sign up for Nixle alerts here. The service is free but the standard text message rates imposed by your cell carrier will apply. You can register for e-mail alerts through the VPD’s home page.
Linden Ave is in pretty bad shape, not one wire or tree tended to as of yet. I happen to live in the section at the end of Cumberland. Crossing my fingers we have power soon – cause that PSE&G status online stating that it should be restored by 12am, NOV 1 does not seem likely.
There are at least two PSEG crews on Linden right now. One at the intersection of Elmwood and the other by Otsego, plus one crew on upper Woodland. Verona Public Works trucks were on both sides of the Peckman yesterday getting things cleared out. But there is certainly more to be done.
You reported that Fairview Avenue is back on line, but Karen says that parts (including our house) are still out. Hope they fix us soon!
VC, thank you. We are out of town but were back yesterday to pick up some more items from home. Disheartening to find the place worst off than you left it – there was a transformer fire which ignited a tree (a neighbor explained) and we didn’t see any work crews anywhere – glad to know that they are there today.
Just rechecked status – now it says sevice should be back by 12am 11/2.
Westview Rd. is still out. We have a live wire at the top of our street that has been active since yesterday. No activity or any utility crews to be seen at all.
Kenwood Ave is still out. Heard that half of Franklin has power. Update from VPD earlier this afternoon said 3 schools were still w/o power. The update was sent via text and email by Nixle per the info in this original post- thanks for that!
Oakridge Rd. still a mess and most of us still without power…would love to see some action in removing the debris so they can work on restoring power.
Have not seen one pseg truck since storm on forest ave side of town
I haven’t seen a PSE&G truck at Forest section either. Really disgraceful.
Guys, I understand your frustration and I am far from being a superfan of PSE&G. But, in their defense, we have not seen devastation like this in Verona in decades–maybe ever. There is not a house without a damaged or downed tree, there is not a block without downed wires. Another wire blew up on my block tonight, which probably quashed whatever work they had planned to do before sundown. We will get through this, and we will learn lessons about preparedness and response for the next time.
They should have learned a few lessons from the hurricane. The Forest section was neglected then too.
Remember… it isnt just verona who has this devastation. Verona is in good shape in comparison to West Orange and Caldwells… look at this as a blessing and it could have been much much more… a friend of mine told me tonight that he was told by PSEG it could be a month before they are restored due to the damage in the caldwells.
Please don’t tell me that I should be grateful that it’s not worse. I understand that completely. However, after losing power in the hurricane, and having my basement destroyed because PSE&G couldn’t manage to keep the power on during a relatively minor hurricane and when my particular street was one of the last to get power then and is STILL without power now, I am entitled to my frustration. By the way, there are NO major trees/wires down in my neighborhood.
We are still without power on wilton Terrace. We have called the police and PSEG several times. We can’t use our car because there is a live wire sitting on top of it.
Have not seen anyone removing trees from fellswood drive or stocker road blocking both roadways. Disheartening not to see any action at all on forest side of town. Escaped to PA until things calm down. Hope something starts happening soon.
Otsego rd still without power. Any updates as of today?
I’ll tweet the map to @PSEGdelivers again. But they are only posting areas that have been restored to their Twitter feed. Nothing on who’s next. My Web journalist friends in California tell me that the utilities there have real-time, street-level outage maps that they can put in their Web sites.
I live on upland way which i’ve been told is on the Essex fells grid. upland way is always the first street to lose power (as of 3pm Sunday) and the last to get it restored. Please please please PLEASE make sure we are not forgotten!
@PSEGdelivers I hope you are reading
R the schools really opening tomorrow? I don’t have power, now I have to worry about lunches, I haven’t been able to wash clothing since Sunday, and how r they gonna fit all those kids in 3 school? What about the maximum occupancy laws? Is it really safe? Not to mention the traffic it is going to create in those areas.
The schools will put out an update later this afternoon.