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Community Corner

Summit OEM: Stay Indoors Until State of Emergency Is Lifted

Summit's office of emergency management urges residents to stay indoors as significant dangers still exist, while more than 2,000 residents don't have power.

While the worst of Hurricane Irene may have passed, dangerous conditions remain throughout the city Summit officials said.

Chris Cotter, head of Summit’s Office of Emergency management said that as of 3 pm today, the city’s State of Emergency has not been lifted and officials do not know when the city will be able to do so.

“We fear that people think that the danger has passed but it has not,” Cotter said.

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The city’s fire, police and department of public works personnel are seeing a large number of travelers on the city’s roads and are becoming alarmed because of the safety issues.

Cars that have ventured out on the roads are finding that they are able to pass down a road for several hundred feet but are soon met by high waters, downed power lines and down trees.  Cars are then making U-turns, causing traffic tie-ups and in come cases, interfering with public works ability to clear the debris.

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“We have incidents of live power lines down an fear that trees may fall on residents,” Mayor Jordan Glatt said.  “I am asking Summit residents to be patient that just about every town in the state is need of resources.”

Summit’s volunteer first aid squad also worked throughout the night, handling medical emergencies.

As of 2 pm fire officials said that they are getting wind speed readings of 40 miles per hour, which makes fallen trees more likely. From 2 pm to 2:30 pm, police received reports of six trees hitting the ground, without knowing whether power lines were involved. 

The fire department has received 167 calls from midnight Saturday evening to Noon Sunday, the police 100 during the same period.

 Fire Chief Joe Houck said that 2,024 residents do not have power. For those residents, it may take days before power is restored, officials said.

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