In Plainsboro, the situation looked more promising entering the week after the storm. On November 5, just 324 homes were without power, down from a peak of 4,200. Meanwhile, township officials were busy scheduling a brush pickup program, which should be released this week.
Township administrator Robert Sheehan said the most progress in post-storm business was made between November 1 and 2.
Four roads remained closed in Plainsboro as of November 2: Dey Road between Woodland Drive and Scotts Corner Road, Mapleton Road from Route 1 to Seminary Drive, John White Road from Cranbury Neck Road to the township border and Edgemere Avenue from Plainsboro Road to Amberly Road. On Edgemere Avenue, a large tree collapsed into utility poles and power lines, rendering the residential intersection impassable and dangerous.
The storm also knocked out nearly all the traffic lights in Plainsboro, but Sheehan said the township had opened all roads not affected by downed power lines by sundown October 30.
Power had been a major issue for many in Plainsboro, and the township continued to provide shelters and charging stations for electronics a week after the storm.
The municipal complex was among the places hindered by the storm. The facility lost all phone and Internet service, which Sheehan said slightly limited the township workers’ ability to be effective. The complex regained full phone and web access November 2.
Still, Sheehan acknowledged Plainsboro fared OK compared with other places. The township had no injuries or deaths due to Superstorm Sandy. Before the storm hit, several people were taken out of homes deemed to be prone to structural damage. By the end of the week, they all had been allowed to return.
“We’re just very anxious to get all of the roads opened and get the last few homes without power back online,” Sheehan said. “Once that happens, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
But even as Plainsboro headed into the weekend after the storm some pockets of problems remained: On Saturday, November 3, The township estimated that approximately 170 homes were still without power in the Princeton Manor, Brentwood/Poplar area. “The township continues to press PSEG to identify the cause of the outage and provide a timeframe for its repair,” officials said in an online notice.
Plainsboro residents can get updates on the front page of the township website, plainsboronj.com, or by calling the township at 609-799-0909.
