Remembering Superstorm Sandy In Princeton 10 Years Later

PRINCETON, NJ — Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on Oct. 29, bringing death, destruction and displacement to the state.

At the time, there were two Princetons – borough and township. In both places, downed trees blocked roadways and brought down power lines. The township and borough were without power for days.

One resident lost his life after being trapped under a fallen tree.

Flooding, Road Closures

The police departments in Princeton Township and Princeton Borough set up a joint emergency operation center at the Township police headquarters.

The majority of officers were called into work due to the emergency. Officers worked for over 12 hours a day. When off duty, many officers were unable to get home due to flooding and road closures, recalls Lt. Matthew R. Solovay. Many of them had to sleep at the police station or surrounding hotels.

In many instances, patrol units were unable to reach residents who had called for help, due to flooding and road closures. In other instances, officers traveled through Lawrence Township and Hopewell to gain access to roads and homes that were cut off due to the closures, Solovay said.

Power outages disabled traffic lights, making the situation even more hazardous for first responders.

Lt. Ben Gering recalls the borough and township being cloaked in darkness. There was very limited street light and driving was hard due to the rain and strong wind. Gering said he had to drive around with the windows of the patrol car down, just so he could hear the sound of cracking trees as they fell and be alerted of potential hazards.

Resident Dies After Being Trapped Under Tree

Princeton resident William Sword Jr., died after being trapped under a fallen tree. Sword was out with a neighbor to clean debris off the driveway when the incident took place.

The 61-year-old investment banker was a lifelong resident of the township. In 2003, Sword survived a stabbing at his home in the township. He was stabbed 15 times by an intruder but made a recovery according to news reports.

1976 alumni of Princeton University, Sword was active with Centurion Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, Little League baseball, Nassau Presbyterian Church and Ivy Club.

He was also involved in Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad.

"It's left a lot of us speechless because Bill Sword was a member of the Squad's advisory council," PFARS President Peter Simon had said. "He offered us advice on squad growth and helped provide us with expertise and knowledge."

University Keeps Power Running

Around 50 trees came down at Princeton University with many reports of blocked roads, damaged vehicles and fences.

About 800 University employees worked in shifts to provide services to students who were on campus during fall recess.

The University managed to keep power running thanks to the “microgrid,” - an on-campus power generation and delivery network that draws electricity from a gas-turbine generator and solar panel field in West Windsor.

The University opened its doors to residents who wanted to recharge their electronic devices, warm up or use the Internet. Local police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency-services workers from the area used Princeton as a staging ground and charging station for phones and equipment, the University said.

The University coordinated its efforts with a joint emergency operations center for Princeton Borough and Princeton Township.

First responders on duty during Superstorm Sandy were provided with meals by the University’s Dining Services.

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