Last year, words such as "flunked" were being used to describe Jersey Central Power and Light's preparedness for Hurricane Irene. Now, after dealing with several summer storms that have knocked out power to thousands this summer, Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari is among the first to praise JCP&L. "JCP&L has been very supportive," Vicari said last week at the county Board of Freeholders' meeting. "The relationship is much better now." About 87,000 Ocean County residents were without power when Irene hit, some of them for as long as a week, suffering the loss of perishable food. Vicari was one of …
A high-tech piece of equipment sits perched atop the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences (MATES) building, which could hold some answers and help meteorologists better understand climactic conditions along the Barnegat Bay. Dr. Jonathan Wnek, of the MATES program, said he is working with meteorologist Michael Folmer, from the University of Maryland, to ensure that the weather station in Manahawkin, combined with ones placed on North Sedge Island on Island Beach State Park and the Ocean County Vocational Technical School's (OCVTS) Waretown Center, maintain a database of …
Sunday marks the first anniversary of the storm that pulled trees from their roots, flooded cars, decimated homes and businesses and left thousands without power. After Irene blew through Brick Township in August 2011, Brick Patch was there to cover the hurricane that had been downgraded to a tropical storm. One year later, we're asking you: Does the storm continue to impact you? What changes did you make in and around your home? Did your business, or neighboring businesses survive the wind and flood damage? Add photos of your neighborhood from the storm, and photos today so we can see how …
At the request of the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending the registration deadline for renters, homeowners and business owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Irene.Those affected by the storm and flooding now have until Nov. 30 to register fordisaster assistance.“We've extended the registration deadline for people who–for whatever reason–have not had the opportunity to register for assistance,” said William L. Vogel, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. “The goal is to ensure all eligible Irene survivors have the chance to seek assistance.”There are three …
The Federal Emergency Management Administration is scheduled to close its Disaster Recovery Center at Brick Township Civic Plaza, Chambers Bridge Road, at the close of business this Saturday, it was announced Thursday. The FEMA center was set up so residents and business owners in Ocean County that suffered damage during Hurricane Irene could have a local location to submit claims to the agency. While the center is scheduled to close Saturday, assistance will still be available until the end of October, officials said. The final deadline to submit claims from Hurricane Irene is Oct. 31. The …
Jersey Central Power and Light Company managers flunked Hurricane Irene’s preparedness test, according to Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, who is urging the state Board of Public Utilities to “review JCP&L’s planning procedures for this storm.’’ He said that 87,000 county residents were without power during the storm, some of them for as long as a week, suffering the loss of perishable food. He challenged the utility to have a representative attend a meeting of the county government to discuss the response to the storm. Vicari continued to insist that a regional …
Monmouth and Ocean county residents in need of governmental assistance as they recover from Hurricane Irene will be able to get face-to-face help starting this week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a Disaster Recovery Center this weekend in the Leonardo section of Middletown for Monmouth County residents and will open a center in Brick for Ocean residents Tuesday. Field specialists will be on hand to assist residents and business owners who wonder if they qualify for federal funds after sustaining damage during the hurricane. Millions of dollars are available through the…
Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday urged those impacted by Hurricane Irene to seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency - and Neptune will serve as FEMA's hub site for New Jersey. Beginning Wednesday, the Joint Field Office in Neptune will serve as the field office for all federal and New Jersey Office of Emergency Management relief efforts throughout the state. "Representatives from the departments will be located here to ensure that we're all working together, officially and effectively, in a coordinated manner to get assistance to folks as quickly as possible," he said. …
Gov. Chris Christie announced Sunday that Ocean County has been declared a major disaster area. President Obama, who visited New Jersey Sunday, made the same declaration for Monmouth County on Saturday. All 21 New Jersey counties are now eligible for relief from FEMA. "Eligibility allows New Jerseyans to apply for different types of assistance, including temporary housing, repair, replacement or other needs such as Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and Small Business Administration disaster loans," according to a release from Christie. Christie previously requested assistance for all 21 New …
After touring two northern New Jersey towns ravaged by Hurricane Irene, President Barack Obama assured residents Sunday that the federal government will help them rebuild. "We are going to make sure we provide the resources needed," Obama said while touring Paterson, a city of roughly 150,000 that witnessed severe flooding during Irene because of its proximity to the Passaic River. "I want to make it very clear we are going to meet our federal obligations." Obama visited Paterson and Wayne for an hour-and-a-half total with a delegation that included Gov. Chris Christie, U.S. Senators Frank …
Come visit. We’re here and open. That’s the message the Ocean County Tourism department was pushing in the days between Hurricane Irene’s retreat and Labor Day’s onset. No, the boardwalks are not destroyed. All attractions and amusements are open, to attract and amuse you. Ocean County Tourism and Public Affairs Director Barbara Steele said tourism offices have been flooded with callers wanting to verify that there’s a boardwalk to come to. She assures you, we are open. Ocean County is open for business. “In Ocean County, virtually everybody in the tourism areas tell me they are up and …
President Barack Obama has declared Monmouth County a major disaster area. But Ocean County will continue to await its fate. Congressman Frank Pallone, D-6, said he was notified of Obama's decision on Saturday. Obama also declared Middlesex County a major disaster area. Gov. Chris Christie previously requested assistance for all 21 New Jersey counties, but damage assessments need to be concluded before individual assistance can be granted to the remaining counties of Burlington, Hudson, Mercer, Ocean and Union, according to the governor's office. Sixteen New Jersey counties are now eligible …
Ocean and Monmouth counties may be eligible for disaster aid as Federal Emergency Management Agency officials work to assess damage that is still impacting thousands of residents almost a full week after Hurricane Irene stormed New Jersey. Individual residents also will be able to register to receive aid for a variety of losses regardless of whether they carry a private insurance policy. But such FEMA monies only are available as of Friday to residents of Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties, per a federal disaster declaration made earlier this week. While the Shore continues…
On almost any other year, the focus around the Jersey Shore region this week would be on getting ready for the Labor Day Weekend. And while there is still a significant amount of excitement for the end of summer festivities, there is still a lot of work to be done to clean up from Hurricane Irene. According to AAA, before Hurricane Irene arrived last weekend more than 950 thousand people were expected to travel to our area. It is not known how many of those people will change their plans based on the damage done here and other parts of the state. "Now that we have said goodbye to Irene, more …
Ocean County will spend less than $1.5 million repairing roads approaching county bridges, guard rails and streets near culverts under highways, a price that would have been two or three times that much had private contractors been used instead of county Road Department crews, according to Freeholder John P. Kelly. No county bridges were damaged, but the massive walls of water sent gushing downstream by rains from Hurricane Irene undermined roads approaching those spans, in some cases in Jackson Township, creating caverns under the asphalt that could have swallowed cars or even dump trucks. …
A hurricane ushers in the floods. Now brace yourself for pestilence in the form of squadrons of mosquitoes. That’s because hurricanes and tropical storms, with their drenching rains, produce a double whammy of ideal habitat for mosquitoes to either hatch out or breed and lay eggs. Floodwater mosquito species lay their eggs in mud and hatch out after big storms such as Irene. And others species, known for laying their eggs in standing water, suddenly have many more places to breed. Not only are mosquitos an annoyance, they can also spread various several forms of encephalitis and West Nile …
High bacteria Levels have forced the closure of the River Avenue and Maxson Avenue beaches in Point Pleasant Boro, officials said. Both beaches had high bacteria counts in testing done on Monday that forced closure, according to the Ocean County Health Department. The tests, conducted Monday by the health department showed 733 colonies of enterococci (bacteria) per 100 ml of water at Maxson and 800 colonies per 100 ml of water at River Avenue Beach, according to results posted on the department's website, www.ochd.org. The standard for a beach closing is anything above 104 enterococci (…
The latest information from Jersey Central Power & Light indicates 2,233 customers in Brick remain without power, three days after Hurricane Irene came ashore in New Jersey. Nearby, in Toms River, about 2,700 customers were without power Wednesday. There was no word from JCP&L on when the lights would finally come back on for local residents. The company's parent, FirstEnergy Corp., said in a statement posted on its website that it has brought in more than 1,000 line, service and forestry crews to the region, but provided no exact timelines on restoration. Township officials said crews would …
Three days after Hurricane Irene struck, thousands are still without power in Point Pleasant Beach and Point Pleasant Boro Wednesday as residents are anxiously awaiting for a return to normality. Most of those without power live in Point Boro, even though the town experienced less flooding and related impacts than its neighbors, Bay Head and Point Beach. Jersey Central Power and Light reported Wednesday that 2,822 homes are still without power in Point Boro and 330 in Point Beach. Some residents said they've called JCP&L for assistance, and they've been told that power may not be restored …
Nestled in the confines of the township's municipal complex during the height of Hurricane Irene's effects on New Jersey, police officers, township officials and representatives from various local agencies went to work. Their workplace: the township's Emergency Operations Center, or EOC. In the EOC, senior members of the police department, members of the township's administration, BTMUA officials and school district representatives all worked in concert to exchange information and keep ahead of the oncoming storm. "We were just as busy during the first part of the recovery process after the …
