Politics & Government

UPDATE: Snow Knocks Out Power, Some Traffic Lights Dark

Over 8 inches estimated to have fallen since Wednesday

Manchester police report that the nor'easter Wednesday toppled a tree into a Cedar Glen Homes residence on Robin Street, forcing the man living there to relocated after the structure was deemed unsafe, said Capt. Lisa Parker.

Throughout the township, "multiple" wires are down and power is reportedly out in both the eastern and western sections of Manchester including Pine Lake Park, Holly Oaks, Cedar Glen, Whiting Station and The Meadows, according to Parker.

JCP&L estimates that about 5,483 of its 25,507 Manchester customers are in the dark. Before the Nor'easter hit, power was restored to nearly all of the township after Hurricane Sandy left thousands of Manchester residents without electricity.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We have no idea when JCP&L will be able to restore power to these areas," Parker said, as the police department does not know. Parker requested that residents do not call police asking when power will be restored, as those calls tie up emergency lines.

"People without power are encouraged to stay with family and friends," Parker said.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A warming station is open at the Crestwood Evangelical Church, 300 Schoolhouse Rd. in Whiting. A FEMA distribution center remains open at the Manchester First Aid and Rescue Squad headquarters on Colonial Drive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Traffic signals are out at Commonwealth Boulevard's intersections with Routes 37 and 571, Lake Road and Route 530 and Renaissance Drive and Route 571, according to Parker.

Earlier: Plowing operations continue in Manchester Thursday after an estimated 8 inches of snow fell and knocked out power to some who only just saw it restored following Hurricane Sandy a week ago.

Manchester Department of Public Works crews have been plowing township roads since 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and will continue making clearing passes until 3:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Director Stephen Stanziano.

"I expect them to be done by the end of the day," he said. "We don't go home until we're done."

About 350 to 400 miles of township roads have been plowed and Stanziano said that he expects overtime costs will be "minimal" once clearing is completed. The director said that he estimates 8 inches of snow fell in Manchester, though some areas reportedly received a greater accumulation.

(TELL US in the comments section below: How are road conditions near you? Did the storm knock out electricity?)

The township's water and sewer systems were not affected by the storm, Stanziano said.

In Lakehurst Wednesday night, a transformer explosion on the eastern end of Union Avenue knocked out electricity to many in the area. Of the 1,257 JCP&L customers in Lakehurst, 360 now are without power. The traffic signal on Route 70 and Orchard Street does not have electricity.

The transformer was damaged during Hurricane Sandy and had not been repaired by JCP&L crews, Lakehurst Chief of Police Eric Higgins said. 

Public works crews in the borough have been out clearing streets since Wednesday night. 

Stanziano said that his staff, including Deputy Director Ray Sloan, are the reason plowing operations in Manchester are successful. 

"It's more about the men than the equipment," he said. "They're the reason for the success."


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