NJFFSA16
11-14-2003, 01:30 AM
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - High winds swept into New Jersey from the
Midwest on Thursday, delaying flights at the state's largest
airport, pulling down power lines and leaving thousands of homes in
the dark.
By late evening, about 33,000 New Jerseyans remained without
power, down from about 90,000 earlier in the day. Numerous roads
were closed by downed trees and wires, but no fatalities or serious
injuries had been reported.
Jersey Central Power & Light had 19,500 customers without power,
mostly in northern New Jersey, according to spokesman Ron Morano.
About 23,000 customers had been without power during the day.
PSE&G, the state's largest utility, had 5,700 customers out as
of 9 p.m. Some 53,000 had been restored.
"It looks like the northern part of the state got harder hit,
with some in the southern," spokeswoman Judy Ohl said.
PSE&G was hoping to get power turned on in the central and
southern parts of the state by noon Friday, with power in the north
turned on by Friday night, Ohl said.
Conectiv had 7,500 outages spread across the eight southern New
Jersey counties that it covers, spokeswoman Betty Kennedy said. The
winds knocked out power for 44,000 Conectiv customers during the
day. The company hoped to have power turned all its customers by
midnight.
Rockland Electric had about 3,500 customers without power in its
coverage area of northern Bergen County and Orange and Rockland
counties in New York, according to spokesman Jim Lois. About 23,000
Rockland customers in both states lost power during the day.
High winds were making it difficult to make headway Thursday
night.
"The wind hasn't really backed off," Lois said. "It seems
like as soon as we restore power to 100 people, another 100 people
lose it."
At Newark Liberty International Airport, inbound and outbound
flights had up to two-hour delays Thursday evening, the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey said.
The wind also caused delays of up to three hours for both
arrivals and departures at LaGuardia Airport. John F. Kennedy
International Airport reported no delays.
Wind-whipped flames gutted most of a 42-unit apartment complex
in Newark on Thursday morning. Two firefighters suffered minor
injuries and up to 80 people were left homeless.
By late afternoon, the National Weather Service reported
sustained winds of more than 40 mph across most of the state. "We
don't feel like we're done yet," said meteorologist Mike DeLisi.
"We've got to deal with this well into the evening."
At about 8:20 p.m. Thursday, a large tree fell into a two-story
house in Oakland, Bergen County, causing the ceilings in the dining
and living rooms and kitchen to collapse, an Oakland police
dispatcher said. The family had been evacuated before the collapse
and no injuries were reported, he said.
Four people from Independence Township, Warren County, were
routed from their home Thursday when a century-old oak toppled into
their three-story Colonial home. No one was injured, police said.
In Newark's Ironbound section, a 71-year-old man was hurt when a
live utility line ripped loose by the storm hit him in the head and
knocked him out. Sebastian DeSousa was in stable condition at a
city hospital Thursday night.
The highest winds were recorded on the coast. Wind gusts of 64
mph were recorded in Cape May, and a gust of 61 mph was recorded in
Stone Harbor, the Weather Service said.
The Weather Service predicted that the winds would diminish to
15 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of
up to 50 mph, were predicted for Friday.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Midwest on Thursday, delaying flights at the state's largest
airport, pulling down power lines and leaving thousands of homes in
the dark.
By late evening, about 33,000 New Jerseyans remained without
power, down from about 90,000 earlier in the day. Numerous roads
were closed by downed trees and wires, but no fatalities or serious
injuries had been reported.
Jersey Central Power & Light had 19,500 customers without power,
mostly in northern New Jersey, according to spokesman Ron Morano.
About 23,000 customers had been without power during the day.
PSE&G, the state's largest utility, had 5,700 customers out as
of 9 p.m. Some 53,000 had been restored.
"It looks like the northern part of the state got harder hit,
with some in the southern," spokeswoman Judy Ohl said.
PSE&G was hoping to get power turned on in the central and
southern parts of the state by noon Friday, with power in the north
turned on by Friday night, Ohl said.
Conectiv had 7,500 outages spread across the eight southern New
Jersey counties that it covers, spokeswoman Betty Kennedy said. The
winds knocked out power for 44,000 Conectiv customers during the
day. The company hoped to have power turned all its customers by
midnight.
Rockland Electric had about 3,500 customers without power in its
coverage area of northern Bergen County and Orange and Rockland
counties in New York, according to spokesman Jim Lois. About 23,000
Rockland customers in both states lost power during the day.
High winds were making it difficult to make headway Thursday
night.
"The wind hasn't really backed off," Lois said. "It seems
like as soon as we restore power to 100 people, another 100 people
lose it."
At Newark Liberty International Airport, inbound and outbound
flights had up to two-hour delays Thursday evening, the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey said.
The wind also caused delays of up to three hours for both
arrivals and departures at LaGuardia Airport. John F. Kennedy
International Airport reported no delays.
Wind-whipped flames gutted most of a 42-unit apartment complex
in Newark on Thursday morning. Two firefighters suffered minor
injuries and up to 80 people were left homeless.
By late afternoon, the National Weather Service reported
sustained winds of more than 40 mph across most of the state. "We
don't feel like we're done yet," said meteorologist Mike DeLisi.
"We've got to deal with this well into the evening."
At about 8:20 p.m. Thursday, a large tree fell into a two-story
house in Oakland, Bergen County, causing the ceilings in the dining
and living rooms and kitchen to collapse, an Oakland police
dispatcher said. The family had been evacuated before the collapse
and no injuries were reported, he said.
Four people from Independence Township, Warren County, were
routed from their home Thursday when a century-old oak toppled into
their three-story Colonial home. No one was injured, police said.
In Newark's Ironbound section, a 71-year-old man was hurt when a
live utility line ripped loose by the storm hit him in the head and
knocked him out. Sebastian DeSousa was in stable condition at a
city hospital Thursday night.
The highest winds were recorded on the coast. Wind gusts of 64
mph were recorded in Cape May, and a gust of 61 mph was recorded in
Stone Harbor, the Weather Service said.
The Weather Service predicted that the winds would diminish to
15 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of
up to 50 mph, were predicted for Friday.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)