Storm Rolls Through Brick: Hospital Loses Power, PD Gets 70 Calls
Police directing traffic at several major intersections
A storm system that began rolling through Brick just after 7 p.m. Friday night flooded roads and knocked out electricity to homes, businesses and traffic lights.
Ocean Medical Center was also affected by the storm. The hospital, located on Jack Martin Boulevard, lost power and experienced generator problems according to Brick Police Capt. John Rein. Hospital officials asked for assistance with restoring power, but there was no need for evacuations, according to hospital officials.
Reports that lightning struck the hospital were unfounded, hospital spokespeople said, and backup generators kept everything except for the facility's air conditioning systems working. Portable air conditioners were brought in to help keep several floors cooled.
Rein said the police department fielded about 70 calls and 40 fire calls in about a three hour period, and officials responded to two working fires - one on Eisenhower Drive and one on Forge Pond Road. Both were quickly extinguished.
Brick also provided mutual aid to emergency responders in Howell, Rein said.
"The hardest hit area appears to be the Forge Pond area along Rt 88 / Rt 70 which is adjacent to Ocean Medical Center," Rein said in an e-mail.
Several cars died on Chambers Bridge Road after trying to push through nearly 3-foot-deep flood waters. Police quickly blocked off the road before the water receded and several motorists hopped out of their cars to help push the stranded vehicles off the roadway.
Traffic began moving more freely on Chambers Bridge, but many busy intersections were without traffic lights. Police were directing traffic at the intersections of Route 70 and Brick Boulevard and Chambers Bridge. Lights were flashing amber at most other Route 70 intersections and traffic was backing up at cross streets. The traffic lights at the intersection of Route 70 and Herbertsville Road was operating normally, however.
At 10 p.m., traffic was still being diverted on Chambers Bridge in some areas, and many jug handles were closed off. A sign at the township's Primary Learning Center was down, according to a witness.
Stay with Brick Patch for more information as it comes in.
C
9:05 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
I have to say that was one of the worst storms that I have seen since living in Brick. It was very scary at times there for awhile. Whew!
Joseph Woolston Brick
9:12 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
Now that was the kind of storm we used to have years ago around here! Shades of the 60's!
Christina Weaver
9:23 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
wHERE on Chambers Bridge did 3' of water flood the road?
michelle veneri
10:00 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
right in front of old brick
cynthia
9:36 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
i have been here since 1959 and that was not one of the worst storms ive seen, actually it was great!!!! Ive seen worse
Brad
10:20 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
I drove through flooded Chambersbridge Road around 7:30. There were a bunch of cars that died that didn't attempt to drive in the center lane, but the flood waters were more like a foot, not 3 feet.
Lori Morrison
10:41 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
The water levels did reach 3 feet about an hour or so later.
Joan Kelly
10:27 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
Thank God we haven't heard of anyone hurt. We can fix broken things, its harder to fix broken people.
mandy_Reeves
10:35 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
I heard there was a tornado on Drum Point road? Friends of mine have a tree in their living room...Leswing drive
Lori Morrison
10:36 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
There are several homes severely damaged on Leswing. It seems that Sky Manor area, Birchwood Park and Forge Pond got hit hard. I don not care what anyone says, it was a tornado. It became very dark, I watched rain coming down spinning in a circle in the street, saw lightning touch down across from my house, and hail the size of marbles! Thank God nobody was hurt!
lisa
10:43 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
The neighborhood off Drum Point,Peter Place, its a wreck!!! Trees are in the road,uprooted in yards or split in two! I have never seen anything like it!
mandy_Reeves
10:51 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
I'm gonna go look...I;m on mantoloking...I KNEW something happened, because there was all of a sudden like roaring and a whole load of wind kicked up and like threw WAVES at my kitchen windows...which are under a over hanging roof...
Brickresident
10:53 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
I live off drum point road, and im pretty sure i was in the middle of a tornado. Or atleast felt and looked like it. Pretty much how Lisa says it! Worst storm i have ever been in and seen.
Mark Belline
11:36 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
That was the worst storm I have ever been in, the path of that tornado or whatever you want to call it ripped through my back yard. if I stood on my roof and look towards the north I would be looking at the Hospital in Brick with the path of the wind came in my yard on Cedarwood dr. It Up rooted my huge tree and fell on my home never mind the 6 large trees in my yard also..The pool was saved thank God!! I knew somthing was up when my Sirius Satilite was working, then I went on to weather.com I saw this massive red color storm and I knew it was going to be bad. Well I have a lot of tree cutting and roof repairs in the AM
doris
12:01 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I was in Bon Ton's when the rain first started. I went to my car & the storm got worst. The thunder & lightning was unbelievable. The darkness came over with rain/hail/ the brightness lightning & loudest thunder. The electric also went out. I had even called 101.5 during the hail storm. Thanks to all the officers because without them this could have been a true disaster.
lucy
12:59 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wish the storm would have knocked out internet access to most of the usual suspects on patch comments...
Dave Betten
4:18 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
MY FRIEND POSTED A PIC OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE A FUNNEL CLOUD.
Rachael
6:21 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Cynthia have some respect. My husband and daughter were just getting home and were sitting in the driveway waiting out the hail when the neighbors gigantic tree fell inches from their car. I NEVER want to get a call at work hearing my 9 year old daughter scream like that again. I will never forget that call. Thank God they were fine but the storm wasn't "great". I live in Birchwood Park and there is still no power. I walked around last night and heard the fear in people's voices about how they are going to pay to get all these downed trees removed. So many people can barely put food on the table right now, they didn't need this. I met an 89 year old man who was just getting home from bingo at 11 pm to a giant tree laying in his yard and driveway. Talk to him Cynthia and then tell me how great this is!
Fawn Rose
1:01 am on Sunday, July 31, 2011
I hope you never have to hear your daughter scream like that again. I had called my 7yr old daughter when the thunder hit and she was scared and is still trying to comprehend what happened last night.
Rick Molinia
7:49 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
i loved it, not anyone getting hurt or having to spend money on repairs..but once a long day is over and i'm inside CUMFY with a loved one dinner is ready, wine tastes great CUDDLE TIME!
break out an old board game that "kids" these days would laugh @...
it was col. mustard with the lamp inside the library..!
Mark Story Jenks
7:50 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I guess this side of town did not see the worst of it. Amazing how a mile or a half can make such a difference.
Susan
8:37 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I live between Drum Point & Mantoloking (behind the buy rite) and we were hit HARD. I have trees cut in half and neighbors pool toys in my yard. I saw that cloud that looked like it was a tornado forming and I never want to see it again! I have leaves splattered all over the front of my house!
DJ
8:55 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I have some incredible photo from the storm. The lighting was intense. We were over by Costco and saw the storm coming and there were multiple lighting strikes at once and I was pointing out how the clouds had the beginning of rotation to them. We hung out in the basement last night after seeing that.
C
9:00 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'd love to see any photos you have. Is there any way to post them somewhere?
Mare
10:55 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
You can leave photos right here on the patch. Right under the photos on this page is a link to add your own photos. I'd love to see them also. My brother lives Forge Pond and was just getting home at the time. He said he couldn't see from the debris/limbs flying around in front of his vehicle. His insurance will be going up!
C
8:58 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'm convinced it was a tornado. Let's be thankful no one was hurt. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the wonder & beauty of nature. All I can say was that Mother Nature was in a bad mood last night.
Colleen Allen
9:13 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I want to say thank you & God bless to the police & firefighters who were out there. I was driving through this and they were out in the intersections directing traffic and they were bearly visable. I was very afraid for them. they really put their lives on the line for us last night.
Christina
9:31 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
That was a powerful storm! My husband, son, and I were driving home in it. So much flooding and trees down. Had to keep changing lanes on Chambersbridge because of flooding by the high school and huge tree branches down in the road! Tough driving without the traffic lights. Nature put on quite a display! Frightening, but glad no one was hurt.
Susan
9:53 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I was out and drove down Leswig, don't tell me it wasn't a tornado! There are a few very old trees completely uprooted with 20 feet of dirt. Some on cars, some on houses. It looks like a bomb hit there.
pointy 56
10:17 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Why is this on the Point Pleasant patch page?
BN
10:37 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
The same reason why its on the Toms River patch page....IT'S A LOCAL INTEREST STORY!
Honestly, if that's the biggest problem in your life, count your blessings.
michelle veneri
10:58 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
are we sure this was just a storm and not a tornado? i love on old adamston road. it was flooded and cars were flying through it. our fence. i have a picture on my phone of a house i thought was on fire but the "smoke" kept dissipating. so i stared at it for a few minutes and then realized it wasnt black smoke it was white/grey. not to mention the golf ball size hail we got. trees completely uprooted where they once stood. the lightning lit up the sky purples and greens trees completely uprooted. the lightning left with the funnel cloud. pictures cant justify what everyone has seen. thankful no one was hurt
mandy_Reeves
11:40 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
i am sure it was a tornado....no other explanation...unreal...it was kinda fun in a way...but not when I heard about the destruction
Rachel Tomasi
12:16 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'm in Toms River and I thought we had it bad.Wow. Very grateful to all who helped paid, volunteers and pure good samaritans and very VERY thankful if no one was injured.
Susan
12:44 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Just came in from cleaning the tree debris in our yard. Thanks to A1 Tree for being helpful. some of the large branches were TWISTED off the trees. not sure if normal straight winds could do that.
Victoria
12:59 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Yes Rachel, Point Pleasant was spared with just rain and an abundance of lightening and some wind but nothing too bad. We did lose power several times. Our Ems squad was assisting Lakewood evacuate a nursing home that lost power. We were lucky!
Concerned Brick Citizen
1:46 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I live on the south side of the Metedeconk River and have a view both up and down. I watched the storm developed on live radar via weatherunderground.com . I was cooking shrimp on the “barby” and figured the storm would remain north. Then the storm really kicked in just as I took the shrimp off. If roared down the river. It sounded like a busy bowling alley. Less than a minute later the grill with the hot coals flew across the yard along with my lawn furniture which luckily ended up getting stacked up on my heavy wooden furniture which also moved but got hung up on a cement planter. We had marble sized hail mixed in the rain. I figured it was not a tornado but a microburst. There were no real waves on the river. We lost power for about a minute or so, but could see that it remained dark off Princeton Ave. and later last night there were still no lights west of Windward Beach. I did enjoy watching the constant lighting flashes or should I say I was in awe. – I’m just glad that no one lost their lives.
Viktoria
2:50 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I have lived in the Mid West(Ohio & Indiana) and yes this was a tornado. I have seen it before and it had the markings of a twister. Funnel cloud, sheets of rain, harsh strong wind, damage like a mofo, yep tornado
michelle veneri
3:01 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
just throwing it out there my mom is an insurance adjuster for metropole if anyone has any damages done to their homes please call "Does anybody have damage to their homes from the storm? I can help you. Give me a call...Carolyn...732-779-4900"
and i also have pictures of the funnel cloud it is definately a tornado
disgusted homeowner
5:01 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Coming home at 10pm down chambersbridge rd. to rt.88 was erie with the total darkness by birchwood park and town hall. Sat morning going by that way you could see much of the damage in that neighborhood with huge trees down everywhere, including the big sign in front of the PLC school. One super strong storm and in toms river/silverton we just had rain and some thunder, no heavy winds. 2 miles makes a huge difference......
Concerned Brick Citizen
6:19 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
What is left of the "Township Owned" (yes it is owned by the township and not the Breton Woods' property owners) Dock Road Beach is mostly gone today. The rushing water did its thing. It is a serious accident waiting to happen as there is exposed rebar and large crater to fall into. Who is responsible if someone gets hurt? -- The Township and tax payers! This beach has been neglected in recent years by the Township. Why are they not taking care of their property. Where is code enforcement? Now Dock Road Beach is a serious and major problem.
Concerned Brick Citizen
6:25 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2011
Township officials have been previously notified about the conditions of Dock Road Beach... NOW it is really DANGEROUS. Children play there all the time. If someone gets hurt there is going to be a major lawsuit. There is no way the township could plead ignorance. THEY KNOW!
Ursula Kroener
9:08 pm on Sunday, July 31, 2011
on Friday night we were at Barnes and Noble book store at Brick when the rain started. Well it seems like it was hail and it felt like a small tornado, the people at the bookstore wanted us to get out of the store after the lights went out, but thank god to a gentlemen in the store who worked for the light company said we should not leave we are safer here at the store. it was the worsed I have seen.
Stefanie Yates
10:06 pm on Sunday, July 31, 2011
Well I work at Pizza Hut and we had a pretty good view. Besides the massive rain and dark clouds that were also a funny color there was lightening bolts hitting the parking lot and our roof!! It just kept coming. You can't tell me this wasn't a tornado!! Especially when people caught it on their phones!!