10 Years Since Superstorm Sandy: Resilience & Recovery In South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — On the morning of Oct. 29, 2012, Lt. John Penney of the South Brunswick Police Department was on top of a bridge on Route 130, assisting a motorist whose car had become disabled. And what unfolded in front of him was like a scene from a disaster movie.

“I watched as every telephone pole, for as far as I could see, fall onto the highway. I had never seen or experienced anything like that in my career,” Penney said. “And I just knew at that point that we were in for it.”

Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on Oct. 29, bringing it with death, destruction and displacement. In South Brunswick downed trees blocked roadways and brought down power lines. The whole township was without power for days.

During that time, Penney was working in a patrol capacity helping stranded motorists. But on Tuesday, Oct. 30 Penney was told by his captain he was being assigned to a “special detail.”

The township decided to open an emergency food shelter at the Senior Center for displaced residents, many of whom were elderly, or had special needs. The Senior Center is equipped with a commercial kitchen, making the task easier for the officers.

With a background in hotel management, Penney was assigned as chef at the Senior Center, along with Cpt. Robert Carinci. “We were novice chefs - we had cooked for the department picnic a couple of years before, so people knew we could cook," Penney said.

Penney and Carinci set up kitchen, and began developing a menu. Local businesses, like Stop & Shop, began donating food items to the kitchen for the displaced residents.

“At one point, we might have had up to 53 people at the Senior Center. We were cooking around the clock,” Penney said. The day would start with breakfast at 6 a.m. and the kitchen would shut down at 7 p.m. after dinner.

Students from local schools assisted in the kitchen. “We arranged for the kids to get their service hours by assisting in serving food and helping cook for residents we were sheltering,” Penney said.

As days progressed, more community members began to come in and volunteer, while Penney and Carinci rustled up breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“It was an overall community effort by the police, the Office of Emergency Management, and the residents. Towards the end, when we were getting really tired, because we had been cooking around the clock, residents who started getting their power back and local restaurants began sending us food,” Penney said.

“People who were coming in were very sad that their houses were damaged, or the roofs were ripped off and buildings flooded, and they had no power. When they were dropped off at the Senior Center, they were in absolute despair. And when we handed them a hot meal, the smile and the thanks that they expressed was extremely rewarding for me,” Penney said.

The kitchen finally closed on Nov. 5, 2012, after the last resident was able to go back home safely, said Penney who was hired as an auxiliary officer in 1990 and then appointed full-time in 2000.

The Road To Recovery

The Township suffered damages of $334,055 due to Superstorm Sandy. Recovery and clean-up efforts lasted well into 2013, according to Chief Raymond Hayducka who leads the Office of Emergency Management.

While no deaths were reported, A 71-year-old Township man was injured after he fell 30 feet from a ladder during clean-up, authorities said.

Elections were scheduled on Nov. 6 that year, and school board member Barry Nathanson remembers the roads being a mess. "When we got to Election day, it was a mess all around with trees still down, power out in many parts of the town," Nathanson said.

On the morning of election day, Nathanson joined other volunteers in passing out bagels in different schools for the board workers.

"A board worker came and give me a big hug, saying they were just eating cereal because all her food went bad. So the bagel was like Filet Mignon for her," Nathanson said.

One of the biggest problems faced by the Township was the loss of power due to downed poles and wires, the majority of which were caused by fallen trees.

"The fact that power was down throughout the entire state taxed the resources of the power company and therefore delayed power restoration," Hayducka said in a report. Downed wires also prevented the township's clean-up efforts. PSE&G crews continued to restore power outages well into Nov. 8.

After Superstorm Sandy, the Township identified various areas in need of improvement. Additional generators were provided where needed and it was determined that the shelter would benefit from the installation of a shower facility, according to Hayducka's report.

But apart from volunteering and helping in the Township, residents were also active in helping neighborhood communities. Deputy Chief Jim Ryan remembers being called by Catholic Charities to coordinate disaster relief from Middlesex County.

"We came together to deliver over $1 million in relief to South River, Sayreville, Old Bridge and communities that were hard hit," Ryan said. The Ryan family also set up a hotline to gather and deliver relief material.

According to Penney, what really separates South Brunswick from other townships was how everyone came together at a time of disaster, not only to help neighbors but those in need across the state.

“Dealing with emergencies like Superstorm Sandy really separates South Brunswick from other townships. Township officials and community members worked all hours of the night to help one another,” Penney said. “I just felt so proud to be a part of something so special.”

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