Residents Observe Damage From Hurricane Irene

There is still some rain falling on Howell Township after the arrival and departure of Hurricane Irene, now residents are able to go outside and see the impact the storm had.

For residents of the Pointe O'Woods development, that means just a short walk or drive to Bergerville Road where water is at levels not seen by many if any. From Point O'Woods Drive all the way to Route 9 there is nothing but water to be seen. On a road that is usually clear, seeing how deep the water was was understandably a surprise to people who had hoped to get away from their houses for at least a little while.

Some people with trucks or SUVs were able to make the left out of Point O Woods Drive, but as of 11 a.m. the water was still high enough as to be an impediment for cars on the road. 

For a development that has not had power since last night, even the chance to get out in the fresh air provided a welcome distraction. One particularly adventerous resident, Jim Van Eeuwen, took his bike from his home in the complex to Fort Plains Road and all the way to the intersection of Bergerville and Route 9. On his trip Van Eeuwen said he saw two disabled cars and the Howell Police Department working to control traffic on Route 9, especially in light of the travel ban. 

There were reports as of 11:30 that a JCP&L truck was at the development after most residents had been without power for close to 12 hours. 

An email from Township Manager Helene Schlegel said efforts to clean up from the storm are continuing. The Emergency Operations Center is still active and can be reached at 732-414-3245. All life threatening emergencies should still be directed through the regular 911 channels. In her email to residents, Schlegel said, "At this time, conditions are beginning to stabilize but we are operating under a heightened state of emergency, including prohibiting road travel and access to flooded areas. 

Thanks to contributions from followers of the Howell Patch Facebook page, reports are also coming in of power problems near the Land O'Pines School as well as Meadow Woods.