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| Council members Bob Werner, Bruce Gilbert and Peg Ferraro |
Before the storm started, Mateff opened an Emergency Operations Center in Upper Nazareth Township. From this hub, strategically located in the geographic center of the County, officials coordinated what we take for granted - utilities, sheltering and mass care, communication and human services. Between ten to fifteen people have been working around the clock since Monday.
Power
All municipalities were affected. Between 79-84% of the County lost power at some point during the hurricane. Places like Pen Argyl experienced a 100% power outage. At the time of Mateff's report, there still were 59,605 outages, although Met Ed had restored energy to about 6,000 customers that day alone. A fleet was on its way to the Slate Belt as Mateff spoke.
"Tomorrow is a big day for restoration," stated Mateff, who predicted that power should be fully restored by Sunday. Mateff himself is one of those who still has no power at his own residence.
Casualties
One person died during the storm, according to Mateff. He was referring to a Wind Gap teen whose ATV struck a downed tree at the height of the hurricane. Another person was critically injured as a result of burns sustained from a generator.
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| PFC Cochran helped with communication |
Because LANTA kept its fleet off the road for the first two days of the storm, Mateff relied on the National Guard to transport people to and from vital medical appointments. He also used the military to maintain contact with municipal officials in many areas of the County, primarily in the Slate Belt. Communications were completely cut off in the northern tier and "scattered at best" in the middle party of the County. Thanks to the National Guard, as well as amateur HAM operators, County officials were able to respond to local needs.
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| Back-up shelter at Hanover Tp Volunteer Fire Co |
In conjunction with Lehigh County and the American Red Cross, an emergency shelter was established at 2121 City Line Road, where people who had lost power could sleep and have a hot meal. At one point after the storm, 80 people were housed there, "the most we've ever seen." At the time of Mateff's report, there were still 50 people (32 adults and 18 children) at this shelter. But the shelter is being demobilized, and its temporary residents will be transferred to another shelter at Dieruff High School in Allentown or what Mateff calls a "mega shelter" at East Stroudsburg University.
In addition to Lehigh Valley residents, this shelter includes storm victims from Orange County, N.J.
The Red Cross also maintained a back-up shelter, complete with twenty cots, at the Hanover Township Volunteer Fire Company, located near Wegmans. It was never activated.
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| 70 mph gusts snap telephone pole in Nazareth |
Mateff reports that, unlike previous storms, there was little or no flooding. This was confirmed by Bethlehem Township Fire Marshall Stephen Gallagher. But with wind gusts up to 70 mph, there was a tremendous amount of wind damage. Countywide, one property was completely destroyed. Another 63 properties sustained serious damage. Minor damages were reported at another 452 properties. 11,314 businesses or homes were "affected."
Mateff stated that those damaged will likely be eligible for public assistance. Congressman Charlie Dent, along with the entire Pennsylvania delegation to the U.S. House, has requested President Obama to reimburse citizens for costs incurred in preparing for and responding to the storm.
There was little or no damage to public infrastructure. According to Director of Administration Tom Harp, a few exhaust filters flew off the jail's roof, but that was the only damage sustained by the County.
Council member Bruce Gilbert was less lucky. His home in Palmer Township was hit by five pine trees. But he was impressed at how quickly volunteer firefighters responded.
"I blinked my eyes and they were there," Gilbert stated.
Gilbert's experience was repeated in other townships throughout the County.
In Hanover Township, Public Works was able to clear 125 trees from the roads and fixed over 50 signs. Regular leaf collection has been suspended in favor of clearing yard waste and storm debris.
Hurricane Sandy also prompted over forty calls about downed wires and trees to Hanover Township's volunteer firefighters. "It was nothing too serious," stated volunteer EMT Chris Smith. "But it was a long night for sure."
In Bethlehem Township, Fire Marshall Stephen Gallagher reports that volunteer firefighters responded to seventy calls, from downed power lines to trees on homes. "The fire companies did an excellent job," stated Gallagher. He also commended Public Works for keeping the roads open and clear of debris.
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| Black smoke billows from Gracedale generator |
A back-up generator at Gracedale began billowing black smoke on October 31, but was quickly replaced without endangering residents at the County-owned nursing home. The National Guard supplied specialized lighting so the replacement could be made in the evening hours.
Looming Presidential Election
Council members Lamont McClure and Bob Werner seemed most concerned about how Hurricane Sandy would impact the upcoming Presidential Election on November 6. "This is the most important election of ... ever," stated Werner, who worried that people would get frustrated and leave without voting if forced to wait in long lines for paper ballots or for battery-operated machines.
Mateff and Harp assured Werner that contingency plans exist to provide emergency power at each polling place.
Rumor Control
Mateff noted that there are rumors that gas stations are dry, but Mateff claimed this is untrue. He explained that trucks are making deliveries, but many New jersey residents are pulling into the first exit off an Interstate to grab fuel for vehicles and generators. He claimed there are no real fuel shortages. Was This the Biggest Storm?
Was This Our Biggest Storm?
"While it didn't have the public infrastructure damage that we've had with a lot of our flooding events, this reached more people," stated Mateff. "This affected more individual residents of the County than the previous storms... It was a very big event."
The situation at Gracedale is disgusting. John Stoffa and Ross Marcus should be ashamed of themselves. The generator is inadequate and elecrtricity is still not restored. A source claims the Adminsatration has not hounded the power company the way Sal Panto did for his seniors.
ReplyDeleteIn order to get back at unions and the family memebers of the COAF, the Adminstration is playing gamnes at Gracedale. That is a disgusting disgrace and county council must call out the execuitve on this dangerous and irresponsbile behavior.
Who would want to hire that Marcus fellow after this added incompetence?
Knock off the baloney. I have a section in this story called "rumor control," and should lump morons like you in it.
ReplyDeleteAt least Gracedale has a generator. Be glad there was heat, lights and hot water.
ReplyDeleteEvery four years people say, "This is the most important election ever." It's getting old.
ReplyDeleteThe storms aren't getting bigger.
ReplyDeleteWe're just getting more complacent. Generators need to be maintained and run every so often. You need to have fuel to run them. People forget about them until they have to use them.
You've got major companies (Walmart to financial institutions) and utility providers (LCA) that don't have a standby power supply. Water pumps, gas pumps, etc. all stop if the grid is out.
We are more reliant than ever on an antiquated power grid which will continue to break (and easily) with any storm. Considerable parts of the LV power grid date back to the 1920s or earlier. PPL only started updating infrastructure after the 2003 blackout. Like the gas lines in Allentown, we're all living on borrowed time in the 21st century on late 19th century or early 20th century technology.
Overall, I think local government is more prepared at this point for power outages than the private sector.
PPL provides service to Gracedale. PPL should be ashamed of themselves, not Stoffa or Marcus. Met-Ed serves Easton. If Sal had to deal with PPL, they'd still be in the dark.
ReplyDeletePPl has been doing a great job. Neither Stoffa nor Marcus are doing the job. They should be hounding PPL.
ReplyDeleteProblem i,s neither gies a damn about Gracedale. If they are lucky maybe O'Hare will get more of the "dump Gracedale" crowd to tell us how a private company would have meade things so mucvh better.
It would be nice if this Adminstration would knock off the politcs and finally do what the voters told them to do.
2014 can't come soon enough.
Great News!! PPL just announced full power restored to Gracedale.
ReplyDeleteBig thank you to PPL. Big TURKEY to Stoffa and Marcus.
The notion that Stoffa or Marcus would let Gracedale go without power, simply to get back at people who have an over-inflated opinion of themselves, is ridiculous on its face.
ReplyDeleteThis also begs the question, where has Mayor Callahan been through all of this? I live in his city and al I see is Pawlowski and Panto informing their residents through their facebook, city websites and all over the TV and radio. they seem to have a real handle on the storm and care enough to be doing something about it. Let's go mayor C, take care of us as welk.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the left sidebar, you'll see a link to the Bethlehem Police blog. It appears that Mayor Callahan has been very involved in this storm aftermath, certainly as much as Pawlowski. Sal beats everyone.
ReplyDeleteSeriously....The Residents at Gracedale seemed to handle "Sandy" just fine. How anyone can blame Stoffa for the power being out this long is ridiculous. Gracedale was Warm, Three meals a day were provided and Staff (Union Members) did all they could to keep Residents cared for and comfortable. Everyone helped each other and when the Generator failed employees who had heard of this went to Gracedale to assist Staff Members because they care about their Residents, Co-Workers and Gracedale. I am one of these Employees and we have been bashed quite a bit over the past few years and believe me it was hard not to take it personally, yes you always have your bad apples but the whole bunch isn't bad. I myself had just put in an eight hour day, was exhausted from the previous days working and living with no heat, electric and phone and dealing with the damage at home and around the community however the evening the Generator failed I had just sat down to eat a cold sandwich and I heard the news over the scanner and immediately called co-workers and they called co-workers and we chose to go to Gracedale to help our Residents and assist staff because they depend on us..I am proud of my Co-Workers for this. Gracedale may have been without "Electricity" but the Residents were much better off than many in the community who had no heat, lights, hot beverages or even food. My Elderly neighbors went 3 days without heat and had no where to go. My disappointment is not with Gracedale it is with the fact that in the Town of Nazareth, Upper Nazareth etc...there was no Shelter to offer these people who live in the community. Trust me the Residents at Gracedale were just fine...most of them have faced and lived through many difficult times that most of us have never seen..We were the ones having a difficult time without the phones, televison, internet and cable. The biggest complaint was ice water...there was no ice...but there was tap water.
ReplyDeleteI am one of the persons who bashed you, although not personally. I might question your claim about staff members going back to help residents when they are off the meter, but I saw it myself at the Family Fest. No question that you care deeply about the residents, union or not.
ReplyDeleteThe notion that John Stoffa or Ross Marcus would deliberately allow residents to suffer is utter nonsense. I am heartened that a Gracedale union member would not be fooled by irresponsible accusations from Mario Martinez and his ilk.
Kissing Callahan's ass two years after you told people he was a bum, won't save you your'e "special place" in Northampton county O'Hare.
ReplyDeleteOnce Stoffa is sad history, your special priviledges are over.
Gracedale employee, See what I mean? These Stoffa-haters are very strange people.
ReplyDeleteStop playing games O'Hare. Gracedale employees have weathered many storms. Most caused by John Stoffa. His contempt for Gracedale and lack of concern, was only mitigated by the hard work of all the Gracedale employees you have dispared for the past two years.
ReplyDeleteNo "real" employee is buying your bullshit any longer.
Gracedale employee, See what I mean?? These are haters.
ReplyDeleteLots of things went wrong and some went right during this emergency. Be assured that everything will be looked at and improved where needed before the next disaster hits. We prepare as best we can but things happen that can't be foreseen. Thanks to all who were good Samaritan's and showed their neighbors love.
ReplyDeleteDon't kill the messenger..work the problems. Mother Nature did us all wrong..not Bernie. Reality beckons..
ReplyDeletebernie,
ReplyDeleteyou keep saying the "gracedale haters" well, why are we haters, juswt because we don't agree doesn't make us haters! please stop calling gracedale employees haters!!! we are dedicated conty employees!!! even though we got a huge screwing by the county this contract.. we will survive!!!!!
The Gracedale haters are NOT county employees, but haters like fake Rev Mario Martinez, Mary Ann Schmoyer, Jack & Peggy D'Alessandro, and Donna Varney. Those are the people who hate, even to the point of suggesting that Stoffa and Marcus would let residents suffer during a power failure, just to get at them. They are just ridiculous people.
ReplyDeleteBernie..the loonies are on the loose. Their weapon of choice is the human shield theory..using the residents of Gracedale as cover for their vitriolic attacks. Scum bags is not too strong a word to use under these circumstances. Shame on them and they give honest,hard working county employees a bad name in the process. Screw them..
ReplyDeleteYep. And they try to turn my criticism of their venomous hate into a attack against Gracedale workers.
ReplyDelete