Traffic lights were out along main thoroughfares in Summit, and the Fire Department had responded to well over 100 calls a day after Sandy hit the Hill City. "Many trees are still down," read a message from Rita McNany, who is handling the city's public communication during the storm.
"Please stay away from downed wires," the email warned. Wires ripped down by fallen trees or light poles, some marked with plastic bags, are hanging low over streets such as Morris Avenue in East Summit.
According to McNany, power loss in Summit is expected to last for several days. Residents can stay warm or charge their communication devices at the Summit Middle school until further notice.
Two important services are also returning on Wednesday:
- Trash collection resumes Wednesday.
- City Hall and its offices will return to operation.
Downtown, with its underground power lines, was able to remain inviting to residents on Tuesday, as people stopped in to grab bites of pizza and cocktails at local restaurants. But, power restoration in Summit (over 8,000 homes are affected as of late Tuesday night) is expected to be a "multi-day" process according to information from city officials and Jersey Central Power & Light.
