Community Corner

UPDATED: About 2,100 Galloway Residents Still Without Power; Middle School Closing as Cooling Center

That number is down from 10,000 on Sunday.

A little over 2,100 Galloway residents are still without power, down from around 10,000 on Sunday, Galloway Township Ambulance Squad Chief of Operations Chuck Uhl said early Monday afternoon, July 2.

"Most of the power is back on," Uhl said. "The eastern end of the township is still effected."

He said it wasn't clear how long it would be before power was restored to those who are still without it.

Find out what's happening in Gallowaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At about 3 p.m. Monday afternoon, the Galloway Township Middle School was closing as a cooling center for the county. Those still making use of the facility were being transferred to the Thomas Wallace Middle School, 688 North Mill Road, in Vineland.

Those without their own methods of transportation would be transported by Galloway Township Emergency Medical Services.

Find out what's happening in Gallowaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As of Monday morning, there were only 16 people using the station, all from areas outside the township, including Mays Landing, Egg Harbor Township, Absecon and Northfield.

According to Jack Gordon, a Red Cross volunteer acting as Shelter Manager at the school, the last Galloway resident left at 9 a.m. Monday morning.

Because there were no township residents left at the school, the Red Cross was no longer able to use the school as a county cooling center.

The school became a shelter for township residents on Saturday, and opened to the rest of the county on Sunday.

"The school has done an amazing job working with the township and the county," Uhl said. "Marilyn Moore has been here since Saturday. I don't think she's gone home. The school district has done everything it can."

Uhl said the staff members from the school district who volunteered cooked most of the food the residents have eaten since Saturday.

"We're always happy to help with the community," Moore said. "Several of our staff members helped with cooking, cleaning, socializing, anything to make it a better time for the people who had to stay here."

Overall, power has been restored to about half of the more than 206,000 residents who lost it, Atlantic City Electric said Monday afternoon.The company said it has also restored power to many critical transmission lines and feeders.

Power has been restored to all traffic lights, and businesses in Oceanville Station and Leeds Point Shops on Route 9 were open on Monday.

Businesses in , across from , were open on Monday, with the exception of , which stated it would reopen tomorrow via a sign in its window. According to Mark Becker, co-owner at , power was restored there late Sunday night.

The and the municipal complex were open on Monday.

According to Councilman Brian Tyrrell, full power was restored to the at 5:40 Sunday night. The college had been working on a backup generator, and housing utility workers from out of state over the weekend.

"There were utility workers from out of state who stopped at Stockton, stayed there overnight, went out to breakfast and were deployed from there," Tyrrell said.

Tyrrell classified Saturday as the biggest problem day for the township, which saw many residents lose power following a derecho that struck the Mid-Atlantic Region overnight Friday night into Saturday morning.

Winds of over 70 miles an hour knocked trees down throughout the county and the region. Atlantic County was in its third day of a State of Emergency on Monday.

The Township estimates there was around $1,144,550 worth of property damage.

"I was impressed by the way everyone came together," said Galloway Police Chief Patrick Moran, acting as Township Manager while Arch Liston is on vacation. "Everyone knows their job and they do it well when they have to. The employees went above and beyond. I was really impressed."

He said the Fourth of July parade will go on as scheduled, and that the Galloway Township Compost site will be open every day from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. through Saturday, July 7.

He said Galloway residents should call the power company or look at the Atlantic City Electric Company's website to answer service questions.

The County announced the Hamilton Mall would be opening as a county distribution point for ice and water for county residents from 2-8 p.m. on Monday. Every car will be given one bag of ice (40 pounds) and one case of water (24 bottles). Crews from Camden County’s Office of Emergency Management, Department of Public Works and Community Emergency Response Team will participate in that effort.

“The Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management requested our Assistance and we are proud to help and provide needed resources,” Camden County Freeholder Ian Leonard said.  “Thousands of our neighbors in Atlantic County have been dealing with the extreme heat, and the removal of storm debris, without the benefit of electricity.”

It also announced that the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) will remain open until 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday for yard waste disposal. The ACUA will also be open on July 4 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for all waste disposal. Visit www.acua.com for more information.

The Red Cross has been working throughout the region and the state to make sure residents are safe and cool as they wait for power to be restored. To make a donation to the Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org.

According to Atlantic City Electric, the derecho was the worst storm the region has seen since Hurricane Isabel in 2003, and caused 60,000 more power outages than Hurricane Irene in August.

Projections still call for many of those in the region still without power to have power by the Fourth of July, with full restoration projected for the end of the day on July 6.

“We understand the inconvenience an extended outage creates for families and businesses,” Atlantic City Electric Atlantic City Region President Vince Maione said.  “The devastation to our system is extensive.  Crews are working non-stop, including the July 4th holiday, until every customer is restored.”


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