Millburn Short Hills Remembers Hurricane Sandy, Two Years After the Storm

Two years ago, Millburn was 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.

Township employees helped local businesses board up windows and fill more than 1,000 sand bags 24 hours before the storm, but the town did not see much rain. Instead, strong winds whipped through the area as trees tumbled to the ground and power lines covered local streets. You can see photos taken shortly after the storm here.

These conditions closed roads throughout the area. The out of service traffic lights and dangerous downed wires made navigating local streets extremely dangerous.

Shortly after the storm, power company JCP&L reported that the damage from Hurricane Sandy “far surpassed” that of Tropical Storm Irene. As Millburn and Short Hills residents dealt with days without power, many lined up blocks away from gas stations for fuel, as the state coped with gas rationing measures.

On Nov. 6, nearly all residents had gone more than a week without power with no lights in site. Mayor Sandra Haimoff brought her frustrations to the Governor’s Office, stating to the press that “Jersey Central Power and Light is a horrible company and we are doing everything we can to resolve this situation.”

Most of Millburn finally regained power on Nov. 12 – just shy of three weeks after the storm. The Mayor was praised for her diligence and advocacy for local residents in the aftermath of the storm.

Despite the lack of power, locals banded together to raise money for those whose lives were devastated by the storm on the Hudson Waterfront, and in South Jersey. Fundraisers were held at South Mountain School and throughout town.

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.