Downed Trees, Power Outages, Flooding in Princeton

Hurricane Irene brought widespread damage to Princeton on Sunday and downed trees knocked out power to thousands of PSE&G customers in both the borough and the township.

Most major roads into and out of Princeton were closed on Sunday due to flooding, trees and downed wires.

In a Sunday night press conference, Gov. Chris Christie said New Jersey residents should stay home if possible on Monday and NJ Transit suspended most of its rail service for the day.

Princeton Township Police are asking residents NOT to call the department asking about road closures. Instead, updates will be posted periodically throughout the day on Twitter and Facebook. We at Patch will also keep a running tally on what roads are open and which are closed or partially blocked.

“Princeton Township suffered significant damage as a result of Hurricane Irene,” wrote Police Chief Robert Buchanan in a message to residents. “While the bulk of the storm may have passed, significant danger still exists as we begin the process of repairing the township.

“We are working tirelessly along with the Department of Public works and the utility companies to restore the township,” Buchanan wrote. “Again, we are asking you to please stay home and avoid any traveling.”