Aside from a close call involving one motorist, Hurricane Irene blew right by Voorhees.
Voorhees Police Chief Keith Hummel said the driver was driving down Kresson- Gibbsboro Road near the Kresson Bible Church when a large tree struck his vehicle. Firefighters and staff from the Voorhees Fire Company responded to the scene.
“The driver did not have any major injuries, but it was a very close call,” Hummel said.
He said several Voorhees neighborhoods lost power, including Alluvium, Beagle Club, Lake Villa, and Avian at different times throughout Saturday evening.
“The exact number is unknown but a good estimate would be about 500 residences and businesses lost power some time during the storm,” Hummel said. “To the best of my knowledge power has been restored to the majority of our homeowners and businesses, but I am aware of some current power outages on Route 73 in the Kresson section and in the Old Ashland section located off of Evesham Avenue.”
He said estimated restoration time is between three days and several weeks.
The majority of the damage reported was from downed trees, blocking roadways and minor damage to residences.
“We are not aware of any homes being evacuated because of flooding,” Hummel said. “There were no other evacuations that we aware of at this time.
“We were very fortunate, besides the fallen trees and the one vehicle that was crushed by the tree on Kresson — Gibbsboro Road, we fared very well compared to many of the other municipalities in New Jersey,” he added.
