Caldwells Remembers Hurricane Sandy, Two Years After the Storm

Two years ago, the Caldwells were covered in fallen trees and dangerous power lines, as Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast. The devastation caused by the storm has left its mark on communities across New Jersey.

Thousands in the Caldwells woke up to no power on Tuesday, Oct. 30 – the morning after the storm. Strong winds whipped through the area, as trees tumbled to the ground and Police were forced to close more than 40 roads across the community.

After the storm, North Caldwell was completely without power with all major roads closed, while most if not all homes in West Caldwell were without power. Traffic lights around town were out of service, making travel extremely dangerous.

The North Caldwell fire department responded to eight fires after the storm, all caused by down power lines.

The clean up from the story was immense, with more than three-dozen telephone poles down and blocking streets throughout the Caldwells. Many local homes sustained serious damage from the storm, as seen in the photo here.

North Caldwell Chief Mark Deuer told Patch that the damage from the storm was “definitely worse than Irene,” comparing the event to the snow storm, commonly known as “Snowtober,” that left residents without power for up to a week the year before.

As the storm broke, locals fought a fuel crisis, lining up for gas stations blocks away. Others huddled for warmth at the local library or firehouse, sharing a plug or a charger.

Neighbors shared war stories at Rockn’ Joes and Dunkin Donuts, while many worked quickly to gather donations for those hit hardest on the Jersey Shore and the Hudson Waterfront. 90 percent of homes had power by Nov. 4, with the remainder lighting back up the following day.

The Caldwells community banded together to support those throughout the state whose lives were devastated by the storm. Just three weeks after the storm, the West Caldwell Police Department sent nine truckloads of donations for survivors of Hurricane Sandy down to South Jersey.

James Caldwell High School Principal Kevin Barnes joined the police officers on the trip, volunteering his forklift operating skills. West Essex Regional Schools, Manhattan Bagel, a local chiropractor, a Jiu Jitsu academy, and Caldwell University also contributed to the donations efforts.

Sandy Across Essex County

Across Essex county, countless homes left without power or completely destroyed. On October 30, 2012, PSE&G reported that 1.4 million customers were without power due to Hurricane Sandy, the largest storm in PSE&G history. In Essex County the outages totaled 255,469 on that date. Gas lines throughout the tri-state area were backed up for blocks and in some cases, miles. A slideshow from NJ.com exhibits the damage.

The Red Cross released a two-year report on Oct. 28, to recap their commitment to spend more than $310 million, or 99 percent of the $311.5 million donated for its Sandy response and recovery work.

“Our work has been possible because of the compassion and generosity of donors, and we have spent the money people donated for Sandy quickly, carefully and wisely – and in line with the intent of our donors,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the Red Cross. “And we’re still helping, as the Red Cross and other groups we have funded continue to offer a range of recovery services that meet the needs of Sandy survivors.”

The Red Cross recovery efforts in Sandy-impacted communities over the past year build on the emergency relief in the months following the storm’s landfall on October 29, 2012. This work, powered by 17,000 trained workers from all over the country – 90 percent of them volunteers, included:

• 17.5 million meals and snacks.

• More than 7 million relief items such as cold weather items and cleanup supplies.

• Nearly 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts for people who have been living in very tough conditions.

• 74,000 overall shelter stays for Sandy.

Even as its emergency relief work was occurring, the Red Cross began to help people in the long recovery process, and that work continues. Trained Red Cross workers are meeting with those in need, providing case management and financial assistance to help with security and utility deposits, home repairs and rent as well as linking them to available social service programs.