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A SNOWFALL UNLIKE ANY OTHER: Historic snowfall? How many storms knock out power to 2 million people? How many dump 20 inches across parts of New York and New England? How often do temps drop below freezing — before Halloween? We’ve had four October snowstorms the past 135 years. None have been this nasty.Bergen was the hardest hit county in New Jersey – only 178,000 customers in the rest of the state are in the same boat. READ MORE….
Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus and Van Dyke Manor in Ridgewood are among those running on backup generators. Teaneck, in particular, has taken a beating, with a reported 10,000 or so outages.
Events countywide have been postponed or cancelled, including tonight’s Halloween Night in Fairview and a River Vale Cheerleader showcase at Pascack Valley High School.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT VIDEO: If you haven’t taken warnings about the extreme dangers of power lines downed or damaged by the weekend snowstorm seriously, have a look at this video of an electrical box that first smolders, then flares — and then explodes, sending sparks flying. CLICK HERE ….
Power to The Valley Hospital was restored at 3 a.m. after it ran on generator power for 12 hours. A lane on Fort Lee Road in Leonia finally has been opened.
Utility crews waited until the last of the storm had moved through overnight before heading out to clear trees and restore power lines.
New Milford, Westwood, Paramus, Closter, Dumont and Tenafly were among the hardest hit towns. So was Wyckoff, where Police Chief Benjamin Fox estimated that 70 percent of customers are without power. The east side of Montvale has been out nearly 24 hours. But that’s only a partial list of those who’ve reported in to CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
“The damage throughout the community is unprecedented,” Fox said. “The heavy wet snow on trees still bearing leaves caused entire trees and tree limbs to fall. This took down electrical, phone and cable lines.
“The wires present significant dangers to anyone outside,” the chief emphasized. “First, we don’t even know where all of the wires are located. Many are located under the snow. Second, although many broken and down wires are now without power, as service is restored these lines will become charged and dangerous.”
“The possibility of accidental electrocution is very real following this storm,” Fox warned. “Trees or limbs should not be moved by anyone if wires are involved. Children should not be allowed to play outside unless an adult knows it is safe.”
Fox was one of several police officials who asked people to dial 911 only in emergencies. The various police departments throughout Bergen are stretched to the max. Some had to call in auxiliary officers. Many are pulling double shifts.
If you are without power or see a downed line, call either 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) or O&R: 1-877-434-4100.
“Do not assume that your service provider knows you are without power,” Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan said.IS YOUR POWER OUT? HAVE YOU SEEN SNOW DAMAGE? OUTAGES ELSEWHERE? NOTIFY US: cliffviewpilot@gmail.com
On the positive side, several critical roads have been reopened, including 9W in Englewood Cliffs and Fort Lee Road in Leonia.
Christine Royland of Westwood sent this shot of her house
(CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo)
Passaic County has some trouble, with the Union Boulevard exit of Route 80 blocked by a downed tree. At least three stretches of Route 23 that are squeezed into one lane. So is northbound Route 46 in Clifton.
“New Milford suffered numerous trees and wires down. Several areas of the borough without power,” Chief Frank Papapietro told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “The police day tour was held over and Auxiliary Police called in. DPW has plow crews and tree crews in service. Fire department and EMS are also active and assisting.”
The Bergen County Office of Emergency Management brought extra dispatchers to its command center to assist area emergency departments.
What was originally expected to be 4 inches turned into a lot more than the weather services bargained for.
“The forecast was off a little bit,” Fairview Detective Capt. Martin Kahn deadpanned earlier today.
Fairview is one of several towns that had shelter areas open and was ready to accept those in need. Cliffside Park declared a snow emergency.
“Tons of trees down throughout the Ridgefield. A lot of the side roads are blocked off from Broad Avenue and Shaler Boulevard, due to downed trees and wires,” a law enforcement source working Saturday night told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “Power seems to be holding though.”
Some photos are better left without captions. Thank you, Anonymous. (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo)
After pulling his car into the garage Saturday afternoon, a Washington Township man reconsidered his plans to shovel, figuring he’d wait until later. That’s when BAM! A tree fell outside, crushing his mailbox. “Scary stuff,” his wife told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
A tree that fell mid-afternoon on Garrison Avenue in Teaneck, on the corner of Beverly Lane about two blocks north of Cedar Lane missed the house on the other side by a few feet (see photos, below).
Fortunately, there was no damage and no injures. But the street remained closed.
As of noon, New Jersey State Police reported nearly 346,000 customers out:
Bergen 158,486
Essex 93,307
Passaic 34,260
Middlesex 20,274
Union 17,908
Hudson 7,513
Somerset 6,994
Mercer 4,445
Burlington 176
Camden 166
Sussex 72
Gloucester 57
Morris 18
Monmouth 1
Hunterdon 0
Mike Thibault of Elmwood Park took this
DO YOU have snow damage photos? News of closings or cleared roads? Post comments below, send photos to cliffviewpilot@gmail.com
Garrison Avenue, Teaneck (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo by Jason Occipinti)
Outwater Lane, Garfield
(CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo by Stella Tulli)
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