18,000 Still Have No Power in Lakewood
About 18,000 families in the Orthodox town of Lakewood, N.J. reportedly remained without power Wednesday after it took a nearly direct hit from superstorm Sandy.
Just 10% of the 20,000 who lost power had their electricity restored by Wednesday morning, the Lakewood Scoop site reported. For the few gas stations in town that were operating, lines of cars stretched down roads for hundreds of feet.
Busing for public and private schools remained canceled. Downtown shops and businesses were opening up, but driving on area roads remained a hazard, without functioning stoplights, all intersections virtually became four-way stops, residents said.
In the town’s “Tent City,” an encampment in the woods for just under 100 people, many were transported to shelters in local churches and schools before the storm.
According to The Lakewood Scoop, local Chaveirim were still looking for spare generators for elderly and ill patients. As of Wednesday, there were no reports of any deaths due to the storm.
On Monday, winds reached up to 80 miles per hour and rains were so strong that Oyster Creek nuclear plant, 20 miles south of Lakewood, issued an alert in fear of rising flood waters. The alert ended on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were scheduled to survey damage caused by Sandy up and down the Jersey Shore on Wednesday.
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