Trees, JCPL Power Lines Main Casualty in October Storm

Though about 300 residents in the south west section of town remain without power, Saturday's snow storm didn't hit Hillsborough has hard as anticipated, according to local officials.

"Overall, we do have some scattered power outages and some trees down around down," Pam Borek, assistant to the Township Clerk and Mayor, said. "A lot of residents had branches down, but there are DPW crews out removing trees."

"It could have been better, but it could have been worse," she added.

According to Borek, many of the residents without power reside in the area of Montgomery and Zion Roads, which are serviced by Jersey Central Power and Light.  The township has been contacting the company for updates on the repair status, she added.

Those without power are welcome to visit the Hillsborough YMCA during its regular business hours for showers, bathrooms and to fill jugs with water. In addition, residents can also fill jugs at the Hillsborough Municipal Complex, Borek said.

Since the town is still in the process of picking up branches, overtime costs for the October storm have not been calculated yet. Department of Public Works staff are completing roving repairs today, mostly to pick up tree branches from roads, a representative from the office said.

The township's Auten Road dump will be open for residents to drop off branches beginning Tuesday. It will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 7:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Residents do not need a pass in order to drop off the branches, but will need to show proof of residency.

Likewise, the town's schools did not need to delay opening or cancel school—though the district's Community Outreach Coordinator, Kia Bergman, said it was a bit more complicated for buses to reach students in the south west portion of town.

"The district was aware of the weather forecast and was ready to deal with any emergencies as they occurred," she said. "The worst casualty from this weekend’s weather was that the band competition, originally scheduled for Saturday, is now rescheduled for this Wednesday evening."

In addition, each school's Halloween festivities are expected to proceed as planned.

"All sidewalks and parking lots outside of the schools were cleared and salted in preparation for class as usual," Bergman said. "All Halloween parades and parties will go on as planned."

Trees and downed branches remain the most prominent casualty of the October storm.

"It was more the trees that were the problem," Borek said "Mother Nature is nobody to mess with, that's for sure."