IRVINGTON, NJ — The state of New Jersey was one of multiple states that had lain in the path of Tropical Storm Isaias, which first made landfall as a hurricane. Irvington saw the brute force the storm displayed as trees and power lines came down, causing blackouts within the town. Coming down on houses and cars alike while disturbing the foundations below, trees caused major property damage in addition to the lengthy power outages.
“The damage the storm has caused were downed trees and power lines, which resulted in numerous power outages,” Deputy Director of Public Works Cassandra Chatman said Aug. 7.
Many trees were reported down.
“We have reported 58 trees down due to the storm,” Chatman said, adding gratefully: “No deaths reported due to the storm.”
A lot is being done about the fallen trees and power lines.
“PSE&G is in town to address these locations, and the Department of Public Works is continuing to remove trees,” Chatman said. “We had in excess of 1,500 service unit outages. In terms of residents experiencing power outages within their homes, at this time, we are down to approximately 400. PSE&G is working to restore those units on or before Monday, Aug. 10. Power lines are a huge challenge where trees are concerned. Most people don’t realize our Shade Tree crews can’t begin to address a fallen tree until PSE&G is on the scene. Power must be cut and wires removed before our crews can begin the cutting or removal process.”
Isaiah’s wrath left several trees atop houses, with residents looking for help to remove the damaging trunks and branches.
“In many cases,” Chatman said, “cranes had to be called in to extract the trees from homes. The resident is not charged for trees removed by the township due to a storm.”
In Chatman’s opinion, Irvington has taken a hard hit.
“This storm certainly has caused some damage; however, we are working hard to move forward,” Chatman said.
Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss thanked first responders.
“Tropical Storm Isaias slammed the tristate area on Tuesday,” Vauss said Aug. 9. “The storm knocked down trees and power lines in Irvington, which caused some residents to lose power. Whenever disaster strikes, Irvington firefighters, public works department and police officers are the first to rush into danger to pull the rest of us to safety. PSE&G crews were working 16-hour shifts to assess damage and make repairs, with additional personnel dispatched. Isaias took a toll on us all, blowing down trees and closing streets all over the township. To the first responders, thank you for keeping us safe.”
Photos Courtesy of Tony Vauss
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