Already dealing with the fallout from previous storms over the last five weeks that wreaked havoc on property, roadways and trees, Haddonfield endured another round of abuse from Mother Nature during a brief but significant rain and wind storm during the late afternoon of July 22.
According to Commissioner for Public Works Bob Marshall, the department logged more than a dozen large trees that fell, damaging houses and taking down power lines in a number of areas. In addition, there were more than 80 borough residences and Beechwood School that did not have power for more than 24 hours.
In the immediate aftermath, one block of West End Avenue, near Euclid Avenue, saw two trees downed by the wind and rain, on opposite ends of the street, which caused overhead power lines to sag close enough to the roadway that only one lane of traffic could proceed at a time.
Other streets, as revealed on the borough’s Twitter account, that were closed due to issues with downed wires the day after the event were: the unit block of West End, the 100 and 200 blocks of Elm, the intersection of Hillside and Farwood, the unit block of Glover and the 300 block of Woodland.
Downed trees had also briefly blocked the intersection of South Edge Park and Wayside, as well as a section of Marne Avenue before its reopening. One large tree was fully uprooted and obstructed Chestnut Street at Kings Highway just behind Saxby’s, and portions of Chews Landing Road had to be closed due to another tree that had split from its trunk and fallen across the street.
Marshall also stated that public works was engaged prior to the storm, surveying and making sure borough stormwater inlets were clear. During and after the storm, public works was thoroughly consumed with clearing roads of trees and debris for several days.
PSE&G and independent contractors were also present throughout the borough during the week, handling downed power lines and tree removal, according to Marshall.
“Can’t say enough good things about our dedicated public works crews. They have been vigilant in efforts and responding to our requests with professionalism since June 20, with extreme storms and record-breaking heatwaves. While it often appears we can never do enough, our residents have been well served by our borough administrator and public works personnel during these challenges,” Marshall added.
Due to the number of families affected by these continual, major weather events, a fundraiser to aid in recovery efforts has been organized. “Flood of Support: For Victims of the Haddonfield Flood” is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Aug. 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at participating businesses throughout the downtown area.
For more information and a list of participating businesses, please visit: https://downtownhaddonfield.com/events/fundraiser-for-victims-of-haddonfield-flood/.
