A few still without power days after storms, hail
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Power was nearly restored Saturday morning after severe storms rolled through New Jersey Tuesday afternoon causing widespread damage and outages.
On Saturday, PSE&G were working to restore service to the remaining 26 customers impacted by the weather. The utility said the outages are in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, and were largely due to wind damage to trees, individual power lines and utility poles.
The National Weather Service team was looking at many locations in Gloucester County, New Jersey Wednesday to determine if a tornado was responsible for the damage. The storm downed trees and power lines across the state.
At the Deptford Mall in Gloucester County, strong winds ripped off part of the exterior, blew out car windows and flipped another car onto its roof. There were no reports of any injuries.
The heat also was a problem. Several people were treated for heat-related issues at a high school graduation ceremony in Egg Harbor Township. Temperatures were in the high 80s at the time, while the heat index was hovering near 100 degrees. Most areas hit the mid 90s.
In addition, the heavy rain and strong winds caused a lightning strike that ignited a fire at a Queens church. The lightning struck the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Flushing just before 7:30 p.m. The fire was contained to the roof of the church and was out within 30 minutes. No injuries were reported.
A tree came down on power lines in the Orange County town of Warwick, and some branches also came down on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Bedford Hills.
Tips and Resources to Beat the Heat
With temperatures on the rise, residents are advised to avoid strenuous activity, drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids and take precautions against suffering heat-related illness.
Children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets are most at risk during excessive temperatures.
Health officials suggest the following heat related emergency safety tips:
Additionally, residents should contact their local and/or county offices of emergency management regarding any open air-conditioned senior centers or cooling stations.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults and people with disabilities are more at risk for heat because they do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature; they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat; and they are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.
The CDC also offers the following tips for older adults, persons with disabilities and/or their caregivers:
Warning: If their doctor generally limits the amount of fluid they drink or they are on water pills, they will need to ask their doctor how much they should drink while the weather is hot.
Heat is often referred to as the "silent killer," in contrast to tornados, hurricanes and other natural hazards with more dramatic visual effects.
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New York City Heat Information
For more information on coping with heat, see the Ready New York: Beat the Heat guide at NYC.gov/OEM. For more information on the health effects associated with extreme heat visit NYC.gov/health.
Con Edison
Customers can report power interruptions or service problems, view service restoration information and the outage map online at ConEd.com, as well as on their mobile device. They also may call 1-800-75-CONED promptly if they are experiencing any service difficulties.
PSEG
To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSEG's Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. Customers can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account on www.pseg.com.
