Malool: Scotch Plains Post-Irene Update

Dear Residents:

This has been a difficult week for most of us as cleanup from Hurricane Irene continues. By now, everyone in town should have had their power restored. If, for some reason, you still do not have power, please contact my office at 322-6700, ext. 316, or via email at mayormalool@scotchplainsnj.com .

I was in contact with our region’s PSE&G representative many times this week to insure that they were aware of the remaining outages in Scotch Plains. PSE&G restored power based on a priority system which is based on the type of facility, followed by the number of residents impacted. Unfortunately, this system resulted in many homeowners spending the better part of a week without power. I understand the frustration and anger expressed to me this week by those residents in person, in phone calls and emails, however, with the devastating effect that Irene had on other parts of the region, PSE&G responded as quickly as possible.

If you have recently had your power restored and your basement is still flooded, please contact the police department at 322-6700 and ask that your house be placed on the pump-out list for the . Our volunteer fire department pumped out more than 135 basements on the Sunday of the storm and the days following, and our Department of Public Works also pumped out basements in addition to handling downed trees.

A special storm-related branch collection has been scheduled for this Tuesday, Sept. 6. Place your branches by the curb and the DPW will make one pass around town to collect them. Please do not place any branches or limbs that are not related to the storm.

We are also in the process of determining the best way to organize a town-wide, storm-related debris collection. Please check the website, www.scotchplainsnj.com,  newspapers and SPTV for updates.

If you have sustained damage to your home, be sure to contact your homeowner’s insurance company. In the event your policy does not cover your specific type of damage, please register with FEMA as you may be eligible for federal assistance. Even if your insurance does cover your damage, we have been advised that you should register as well.

Earlier today, the federal government approved Union County’s request for disaster assistance. This means that our residents and small businesses are now eligible to apply for different types of federal assistance, including temporary housing, repair, replacement or other needs such as Disaster Unemployment Assistance and Small Business Administration disaster loans. You can register by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. You can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or apply through a smartphone by visiting m.fema.gov and following the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

Our Office of Emergency Management and police department, along with the FD, DPW, rescue squad and other township employees, responded in a most efficient and professional manner during the storm and its aftermath. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the employees and volunteers, who spent countless hours away from their own households, helping our residents.

I would also like to thank our residents for their patience during this difficult time. As I toured the town several times this week, surveying damage and speaking with residents, I was not surprised to see our community join together in the face of adversity. There was a distinct sense of camaraderie as neighbors and strangers alike pitched in to help each other. Most people who I came across realized how lucky we truly were and responded accordingly.

The most difficult part has passed, but many still have a lot of work to do to return to a normal life. With the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11 approaching, we are reminded this week of the important things in life and how resilient we really are. I am proud of our community, especially our volunteers, our employees and our residents. Thank you for your support.

Mayor Nancy Malool