Sunday, April 28, 2013
Insurance companies blame 2011's Tropical Storm Irene, Halloween nor'easter — not Sandy — for highest in nation auto rate increase.
New Jersey motorists, who currently pay among the highest rates for auto insurance now, are going to have to dig a bit deeper into their wallets to pay for increases in auto insurance, according to published report Sunday. Insurers and state regulators are saying Hurricane Sandy, which devastated portions of the state including the Jersey Shore, is not the reason for state approving rate increases for 26 insurers thus far in 2013, according to a NorthJersey.com report. Instead, officials blame the rate increases on losses related to Tropical Storm Irene and the Halloween nor’easter from two years ago, medical costs that continue to rise, reinsurance expenses and dim forecasts of investment income, the report said. Allstate, New Jersey …
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thousands were without power and water, some for more than a week; Maplewood township employees worked around the clock.
One year ago, Hurricane Irene swept through Maplewood. The storm knocked out power and running water to thousands of households, caused sewers to back up, sent trees and limbs crashing down, flooded roads and basements and destroyed property. The Maplewood Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Richardella, pumped out between 300 and 400 basements. The Department of Public Works (DPW) removed over 60 trees or major limbs and 13,000 yards of brush and logs, picked up more than 200 yards of bulk from flood discards and had to replace more than 2,000 square feet of sidewalk. “For the first four days we were working 16-hour shifts (and) we had to shut down at night due to safety issues,” recalled DPW director Eric Burbank. “We …
A year after Hurricane Irene, the township has strengthened its emergency measures.
Since Hurricane Irene hit Maplewood a year ago, knocking out power and water and causing massive flooding and property damage, the township has put in place measures that will better prepare residents for the next natural disaster or emergency. Mayor Vic DeLuca recently shared with Maplewood Patch the following list of steps the township has taken or is in the process of working on: 1) Install generator at the DeHart Center so that it is a reliable shelter in all emergencies 2) Set up a public information center during the emergency so that people can call or stop by for updates and to have questions addressed 3) Purchase of a mobile, solar powered electronic sign to broadcast emergency information at key spots throughout town 4) …
Friday, August 10, 2012
South Orange's Kim Collins has an escape route, emergency kit and training
After Hurricane Irene, many residents planned for coming disasters. South Orange resident and doula, a trained professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth, Kim Collins knows the value of planning. "Part of what I do as a doula is try to anticipate things in order to be prepared and avoid problems," she explains. "So I've tried to have ready what I have read or can imagine helping us be self-sufficient or able to help others if there is something going on." Collins shares the contents of her kit with Patch; most items are easy-to-find at a large camping or hardware store, and many of them -- bug repellent, baby wipes -- may already be around your home. She has …
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The shore received a lashing, but North Jersey — including Essex County — took the brunt
Hurricane Irene would have been the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey in more than a century, had it actually been packing hurricane-strength winds at the time. But by the time Irene rolled ashore at Little Egg Inlet in southern Ocean County, its wind speed had already decreased to 69 m.p.h. – a full 5 m.p.h. short of hurricane strength – meaning it was actually just a tropical storm. The new findings were released Dec. 14 by the National Hurricane Center, the latest of equivalent post-mortems the agency has posted on every other storm of the 2011 hurricane season. Every year, the hurricane center releases "tropical cyclone reports" on each named storm after hurricane season ends Nov. 30. The report said a storm surge of 3 to …
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Directory of organizations providing relief to those hit hardest.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- On NJ.com
-
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Shelters set up all over the county for residents seeking safety from the storm.
With nearly 65 years of working with the American Red Cross, Michael Festa has been on the scene of many Essex County emergency situations, including the overflow of the Passaic River and the flood in Fairfield. As the sky blackened and sheets of rain continued to beat down outside of West Orange's Codey Arena, the Essex County health officer and executive director for hazardous response said despite all of that experience, Hurricane Irene was a potential crisis unlike any he had previously seen. "In this area, yes. By miles," he said. "And it's not over yet. We expect a lot more to happen." Before Irene could invoke her wrath, though, Festa worked with county administrator Ralph Cialella and several other workers to turn Codey Arena into …
Patch editors and readers capture a glimpse of the storm's impact.
- NEWS
-
Saturday, August 27, 2011
All up and down the Eastern Seaboard, Patch editors and contributors are hard at work covering Hurricane Irene, providing information about closures, shelters and other issues of public safety as well as documenting the lives of those most affected. And, as always, an image is worth 1,000 words. Here is a selection of photos from Patch staffers and our readers documenting the storm from South Carolina northward. We'll be updating with the latest photographs as the storm progresses. You can even add your own — just look for the link below the photos.
Gov. Chris Christie held a hurricane preparedness briefing update at 2 p.m.
While Hurricane Irene has downgraded to a Category 1 storm, Gov. Chris Christie said in his 2 p.m. preparedness briefing that decreasing wind speeds by 10-15 mph "will make little difference to the folks here in New Jersey." So far, more than 90 percent of the residents in Long Beach Island, Cape May and Atlantic counties have been evacuated. The concern as of this afternoon is Atlantic City and Christie said the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Transit are sending additional buses to accelerate and complete the evacuation process. At press time, Newark was considering 'encouraged' evacuations. "I can't make you leave your home and I am certainly not going to place you under arrest to make you leave," Christie said. "Let us take you …
Republican congressman says federal government should "spend whatever is necessary" in Irene aftermath.
U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon County) is disagreeing with one of his party’s top leaders and saying that the federal government should “spend whatever is necessary” in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Lance, in an interview with Patch Saturday morning, said that he disagrees with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Vir.) that any federal spending to tackle the hurricane’s aftermath should be tied to equal reductions from other parts of the federal budget. Cantor’s spokeswoman told Talking Points Memo on Thursday that the majority leader believes the additional spending should be tied to the cuts. Cantor first made the disaster spending declaration in May following the tornado, which destroyed Joplin, Missouri. Cantor has been …
Peggy Davison
1:17 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013
Thanks for the link Chris! After reading the article, I too am confused as to why our rates are so high, and rising. It simply does not make any sense! more ›