Morning After Clean-Up From Sandy

Sandy has blown out of town littering New Milford's side streets and thoroughfares with the debris of trees and branches, downed power lines, and many, many power outages.

As of midnight, PSE&G is reporting between 2,001 and 5,000 customers without power in New Milford according to its power outage map.

New Milford residents reported outages near Gibbs Elementary School, Berkley Elementary School, St. Joe's, New Milford High School, Brookchester and Main Street.

It is uncertain at this time when power will be restored. PSE&G had to cease any overnight repairs as wind gusts reached over 45mph. Crews will begin repair work around 8am Tuesday morning.

At the storm's peak, between 6pm and 8pm Monday, emergency services and the DPW were responding to continual calls reporting downed trees and power lines throughout town.

The damage from flooding has not yet been determined. Tuesday will be a day to assess the damage Sandy caused throughout the borough, Chief of Police Frank Papapietro said shortly before midnight Monday.

Emergency services and the DPW worked throughout the storm and through Tuesday morning responding to calls of downed trees, wires and transformer fires.

Papapietro, who in his role as head of Emergency Management was out on the road throughout the day and night Monday following all of the emergency calls, reported that the real damage of Sandy could not be assessed until the storm had passed.

On the minds of many residents was the potential tidal flooding that meteorologists predicted Sandy would bring. Unlike Irene, Sandy came to town during a full moon tidal surge, and the residents of Columbia Street, one of the hardest hit during Irene, were extremely concerned with the potential devastation Sandy offered.

"The tide is rising," Papapietro said as he observed the Hackensack River from Columbia Street around 11pm. "We don't know yet what, if any, tidal flooding will occur as a result of the storm."

"You can be sure that we're watching the river closely," he stressed.

All New Milford Schools and Borough administrative offices are closed Tuesday. Papapietro encourages residents to continue to stay off the roads if they can.

"With all the debris from the trees, and road closures due to downed trees and power lines, we're asking that all residents continue to stay off the roads until they can be cleared and made safe for travel," Papapietro said.

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