As power slowly gets restored to residents after Tropical Storm Irene hit on Sunday, thousands must now deal with flooded basements, bedrooms, and living rooms - and possibly mold.
The worst of the damage occurred in Western Massachusetts along the Vermont border - where the storm dumped the largest rainfall- as overflow flooded homes all along the Deerfield River basin where some 100,000 residents live.
“We expect flood waters to stay elevated for a few days, rather than normally receding within a day after a storm,’’ said Peter Judge, public information officer for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “That means water in yards and basements won’t go away quickly.’’
Unfortunately, these homeowners may find themselves dealing with the aftermath of water left stagnant for more than a day or two: pervasive mold.
While mold doesn’t cause serious health problems for most people, it can cause eye irritation, a runny nose, coughing, skin rash, and a sore throat in people who are allergic. It can also trigger wheezing and shortness of breath in asthmatics who have allergies, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We tell people who have water in their homes to deal with it within the first 24 hours if possible,’’ said Leon Bethune, environmental health division director at the Boston Public Health Commission. Homeowners need to protect themselves before entering a flooded area by donning rubber boots, gloves, a jacket, and pants, he advised, because flood water can be contaminated with viruses, bacteria, and chemicals like oil or gasoline.
With the shutdown of Greenfield’s waste water treatment plant following the storm, raw sewage has been flowing into the Deerfield River, state health officials reported yesterday. This sewage could also be seeping into flooded homes.
Most homeowners will find that flood waters recede on their own, but those who still have standing water should bail it out with buckets or call their local fire department for help, recommended Christine Rogers, an environmental health scientist in the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Her husband’s bookstore in Shelburne Falls filled with 4 feet of water after the storm, she said, but the flooding receded on its own.
“We’ve opened all the windows in the store, taken out all the wet books, and are running fans continuously to dry things out over the next few days,’’ she said. Those actions can prevent the growth of mold if taken within a day or two after the flood. “The sunny weather we’re having is great for drying out wet furniture,’’ she added, “so it should be brought outside on a day like today.’’
Mold may still appear on walls and other surfaces over the next few days, but that doesn’t necessarily require calling a professional for remediation. Moldy carpets should be discarded, said Rogers, but small, nonporous surfaces - like cement walls or tile floors - can be cleaned with detergent and water. Porous drywall should be sprayed with a diluted solution of one cup bleach in a gallon of water, to kill mold spores beneath the surface.
Those with mold allergies or asthma should not perform the cleanup.
Homeowners who encounter pervasive mold spread and flood damage should call MASS211, the state’s emergency help line, if they do not have flood insurance. The call center is taking information on damage, said Judge, to ascertain whether public properties and certain uninsured residents will qualify for federal aid to repair storm damage.
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Fire Damage Estimated $45,000
At least two people were displaced this morning after firefighters were forced to cut a hole in a roof while battling an attic fire on Green Bay’s
near west side.
The fire was reported about 6:10 a.m. at the two-story home at 830 S. Maple Ave., said Green Bay fire battalion chief Paul Arvey.
Residents were evacuated when crews arrived and there was smoke coming from the roof.
The fire was contained within 20 minutes and no one was hurt, Arvey said.
Damage is estimated at $45,000 and the cause appears to be accidental, he said, noting electrical issues could not be ruled out. The residents will be displaced pending home inspection and repair, he said.
The Lakeland Chapter of the American Red Cross said it is assisting an adult and child.The property is owned by Heather Reimer and valued at $76,800, according to Brown County online land records.
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near west side.The fire was reported about 6:10 a.m. at the two-story home at 830 S. Maple Ave., said Green Bay fire battalion chief Paul Arvey.
Residents were evacuated when crews arrived and there was smoke coming from the roof.
The fire was contained within 20 minutes and no one was hurt, Arvey said.
Damage is estimated at $45,000 and the cause appears to be accidental, he said, noting electrical issues could not be ruled out. The residents will be displaced pending home inspection and repair, he said.
The Lakeland Chapter of the American Red Cross said it is assisting an adult and child.The property is owned by Heather Reimer and valued at $76,800, according to Brown County online land records.
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People Helping People - It's Powerful Stuff
Antonia Schreiber stood Tuesday afternoon in the 200-year-old Victorian cottage she had transformed into a luxury day spa and marveled that she could see blond floorboards where 24 hours earlier there had been a foot of mud, mangled shrubs and tree limbs left by Irene's floodwaters.
"Friends, loved ones, people I don't even know showed up with trucks, bulldozers and hugs," said the 26-year-old massage therapist, as men and women scraped and mopped around her. "The magnitude of generosity and good will is just overwhelming. I'm numb."
It was the same story up and down Main Street in Windham, a ski town high in the Catskill Mountains that was under several feet of brick-red water Sunday night when a stony creek, the Batavia Kill, grew to a raging river fueled by a foot of rain.
There was still no municipal water on Tuesday in Windham and the sewage system was broken. Residents who gathered on the community center lawn said state or federal aid had not materialized yet on Tuesday morning, so people took matters into their own hands.
"The National Guard showed up yesterday but they didn't bring water or anything," said Erica Regan, who looked for a way to help others after finding her flower shop unharmed. "I can't drive a bulldozer, but I can make coffee."
She set up a coffee urn on a folding table beside the picture-book white church that houses the community center, and before long, other people started bringing things — baked goods, cases of bottled water, jugs of milk, gas grills, burgers, hot dogs. Members of the Bruderhof religious community on another mountainside, dressed in long blue skirts, grilled chicken for hungry cleanup volunteers.
Steven Zeregas took a break to eat a hot dog after working to clean up his pizza shop, where the front deck was scrunched into a V by floodwaters. "My kitchen, fuhgetaboutit," Zarega said. "I lost so much food. The water heater was floating in four feet of water. I spent $10,000 to put in a new patio out back last year, and now it's all gone."
Zaregas said he'll use his savings to repair what he can, submit the receipts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "and pray I get some money back."
"Nobody has flood insurance here; it's too expensive," Schreiber said.
Irene destroyed 500 to 600 homes and thousands of acres of farmland and left six people dead upstate. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 470,000 customers were without power statewide.
On Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo requested an "expedited major disaster declaration" from the federal government to help pay for preparation and cleanup. He said preliminary estimates show damage far exceeds the $25 million threshold.
Early Wednesday, President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in New York, freeing up federal recovery funds for people in the counties of Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Ulster. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs.
The declaration also means the state and eligible local governments and non-profits can apply for funding to rebuild in the counties of Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, and Westchester.
Also early Wednesday, the New York State Thruway reopened in both directions from Schenectady to Syracuse, the last stretch of road closed by flooding caused by Irene.
In Windham, bike shop owner Lori Torgersen helped set up a relief organization called WARF — Windham Area Relief Foundation — with a website where people can make donations (www.windhamrebuild.org).
"There are all sorts of limits to government aid, as we've quickly learned," Torgersen said. "I have two friends whose shops were devastated, and they were told FEMA doesn't generally help small businesses."
The streets of Windham were coated with a film of dried red mud Tuesday. Sidewalks were buckled, and beneath them the soil was gone and pipes lay exposed and broken. Lawns were strewn with flotsam left by the floodwaters, including several cars, a backhoe, and a small cottage that was crushed against the bridge. Some of the gingerbread-trimmed homes were still surrounded by shallow ponds.
Billy Martin, 43, a retired New York City firefighter who was at ground zero on 9/11, said his Windham home is on a hill and wasn't damaged. "I'm here trying to help people out any way I can," he said.
Natasha Shuster, a former pro skier who owns the Catskill Country Store with her husband, said 150 people showed up on Monday to help with cleanup. About a dozen were there Tuesday. Two cars from another part of town lay partly buried by mud in front of the store, one with the letters "RIP" written on the roof with red clay.
"The FEMA people were really nice and sympathetic, but they said they can't help us," Shuster said.
"But it's all good, nobody died here," Shuster said. "Our family and friends are OK. We'll be fine."
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"Friends, loved ones, people I don't even know showed up with trucks, bulldozers and hugs," said the 26-year-old massage therapist, as men and women scraped and mopped around her. "The magnitude of generosity and good will is just overwhelming. I'm numb."
It was the same story up and down Main Street in Windham, a ski town high in the Catskill Mountains that was under several feet of brick-red water Sunday night when a stony creek, the Batavia Kill, grew to a raging river fueled by a foot of rain.
There was still no municipal water on Tuesday in Windham and the sewage system was broken. Residents who gathered on the community center lawn said state or federal aid had not materialized yet on Tuesday morning, so people took matters into their own hands.
"The National Guard showed up yesterday but they didn't bring water or anything," said Erica Regan, who looked for a way to help others after finding her flower shop unharmed. "I can't drive a bulldozer, but I can make coffee."
She set up a coffee urn on a folding table beside the picture-book white church that houses the community center, and before long, other people started bringing things — baked goods, cases of bottled water, jugs of milk, gas grills, burgers, hot dogs. Members of the Bruderhof religious community on another mountainside, dressed in long blue skirts, grilled chicken for hungry cleanup volunteers.
Steven Zeregas took a break to eat a hot dog after working to clean up his pizza shop, where the front deck was scrunched into a V by floodwaters. "My kitchen, fuhgetaboutit," Zarega said. "I lost so much food. The water heater was floating in four feet of water. I spent $10,000 to put in a new patio out back last year, and now it's all gone."
Zaregas said he'll use his savings to repair what he can, submit the receipts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "and pray I get some money back."
"Nobody has flood insurance here; it's too expensive," Schreiber said.
Irene destroyed 500 to 600 homes and thousands of acres of farmland and left six people dead upstate. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 470,000 customers were without power statewide.
On Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo requested an "expedited major disaster declaration" from the federal government to help pay for preparation and cleanup. He said preliminary estimates show damage far exceeds the $25 million threshold.
Early Wednesday, President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in New York, freeing up federal recovery funds for people in the counties of Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Ulster. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs.
The declaration also means the state and eligible local governments and non-profits can apply for funding to rebuild in the counties of Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren, and Westchester.
Also early Wednesday, the New York State Thruway reopened in both directions from Schenectady to Syracuse, the last stretch of road closed by flooding caused by Irene.
In Windham, bike shop owner Lori Torgersen helped set up a relief organization called WARF — Windham Area Relief Foundation — with a website where people can make donations (www.windhamrebuild.org).
"There are all sorts of limits to government aid, as we've quickly learned," Torgersen said. "I have two friends whose shops were devastated, and they were told FEMA doesn't generally help small businesses."
The streets of Windham were coated with a film of dried red mud Tuesday. Sidewalks were buckled, and beneath them the soil was gone and pipes lay exposed and broken. Lawns were strewn with flotsam left by the floodwaters, including several cars, a backhoe, and a small cottage that was crushed against the bridge. Some of the gingerbread-trimmed homes were still surrounded by shallow ponds.
Billy Martin, 43, a retired New York City firefighter who was at ground zero on 9/11, said his Windham home is on a hill and wasn't damaged. "I'm here trying to help people out any way I can," he said.
Natasha Shuster, a former pro skier who owns the Catskill Country Store with her husband, said 150 people showed up on Monday to help with cleanup. About a dozen were there Tuesday. Two cars from another part of town lay partly buried by mud in front of the store, one with the letters "RIP" written on the roof with red clay.
"The FEMA people were really nice and sympathetic, but they said they can't help us," Shuster said.
"But it's all good, nobody died here," Shuster said. "Our family and friends are OK. We'll be fine."
flood damage long island
8/31/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Today: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming southeast between 5 and 8 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Southeast wind between 5 and 9 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Labor Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
flood cleanup long island
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming southeast between 5 and 8 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Southeast wind between 5 and 9 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Labor Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
flood cleanup long island
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
More Flooding On Way
More flooding this week remained a possibility, as some rivers continued to rise.
In Ocean County, Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher said the north branch of the Toms River could crest Tuesday, causing more flooding. Route 571 near the river’s north branch at the Manchester-Toms River boundary was closed, according to Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who said rising waters have damaged a bridge and repairs need to be made. Stormwater runoff from Hurricane Irene has been causing the river to rise.
At least four people were killed.
Yet along the Jersey Shore, the sum of Irene’s parts failed to match the shock and awe of the December 1992 storm, which caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and left large swaths of the state’s coast almost unrecognizable. While no one was killed in that storm, 55 homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties were destroyed, and another 13,000 were damaged.
For all the dire predictions, Irene, fortunately, didn’t come close that level of destruction.
“I was waiting for the storm this morning; I didn't realize it was over already,” said Damien Davis of Belmar, who rode out the storm with his mother.
“I thought it was going to be worse,” said Robert Hunziker, 76, of Bay Head, who was able to keep ahead of the water seeping into his basement with a Shop-Vac.
As of Sunday evening, the lone death attributed to the hurricane was that of a 20-year-old Salem County woman, Celena Sylvestri, of Quinton, who was found in her car, submerged in water in the Salem County community of Pilesgrove.
During a news conference Sunday, Gov. Chris Christie said a Princeton emergency worker had died during a swift water rescue. But a spokeswoman later said he was given inaccurate information and the firefighter was alive and in critical condition. On Monday, the Times of Trenton reported the worker -- Princeton rescue squad member Michael Kenwood, 39 -- died Monday morning.
Kenwood was part of a rescue team responding to a submerged car near a Princeton Township park. The car turned out to be empty.
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In Ocean County, Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher said the north branch of the Toms River could crest Tuesday, causing more flooding. Route 571 near the river’s north branch at the Manchester-Toms River boundary was closed, according to Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who said rising waters have damaged a bridge and repairs need to be made. Stormwater runoff from Hurricane Irene has been causing the river to rise.
At least four people were killed.
Yet along the Jersey Shore, the sum of Irene’s parts failed to match the shock and awe of the December 1992 storm, which caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and left large swaths of the state’s coast almost unrecognizable. While no one was killed in that storm, 55 homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties were destroyed, and another 13,000 were damaged.
For all the dire predictions, Irene, fortunately, didn’t come close that level of destruction.
“I was waiting for the storm this morning; I didn't realize it was over already,” said Damien Davis of Belmar, who rode out the storm with his mother.
“I thought it was going to be worse,” said Robert Hunziker, 76, of Bay Head, who was able to keep ahead of the water seeping into his basement with a Shop-Vac.
As of Sunday evening, the lone death attributed to the hurricane was that of a 20-year-old Salem County woman, Celena Sylvestri, of Quinton, who was found in her car, submerged in water in the Salem County community of Pilesgrove.
During a news conference Sunday, Gov. Chris Christie said a Princeton emergency worker had died during a swift water rescue. But a spokeswoman later said he was given inaccurate information and the firefighter was alive and in critical condition. On Monday, the Times of Trenton reported the worker -- Princeton rescue squad member Michael Kenwood, 39 -- died Monday morning.
Kenwood was part of a rescue team responding to a submerged car near a Princeton Township park. The car turned out to be empty.
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After Irene: Dealing with Flood Damage
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, thousands of people in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and elsewhere have fled flooded homes and businesses. When the waters recede and officials give the OK to return, the dangers don’t automatically subside. Flooding can leave serious health threats in its wake. Gas leaks, electrical shocks, mold, and contaminated water and food can all be debilitating, or even fatal. When you get back home, play it safe by listening to your local authorities and following these guidelines:
After Evacuation
Don’t return home until the area is declared safe by local officials.
Don’t enter your home if you smell gas or if it is still surrounded by floodwaters.
Going Home
Be wary of your footing -- loose boards or slippery tiles may pose a hazard.
Check your home for damage, in particular:
If you smell gas or hear it hissing, open a window and leave immediately.
Turn off the electricity at the fuse box, but only if you are dry and don’t have to stand in water to do so. You may need to have your wiring checked by a professional -- obvious signs of damage include sparks and broken or frayed wires.
Look for cracks in the roof, foundation and chimney. If you’re worried that your home is structurally unsound, leave immediately.
Inspect appliances and unplug any that are wet. They may need to be checked by a professional before being restarted.
Inspect water and sewage pipes for damage. If you find cracks or leaking, turn off the main valve where the water supply enters the house..
In addition, take pictures of any damage for insurance purposes, and contact your agent. Remember to save receipts for all repair and cleaning costs.
For more information, see the Federal Emergency Management Agency's page on returning home.
Cleaning Up
To protect yourself from health hazards posed by mold, be sure to wear:
Goggles without vent holes (to prevent mold getting into your eyes)
An N-95 respirator (protects against mold spores; available at hardware stores)
Gloves (to avoid touching mold)
Long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and boots or work shoes
During clean up:
Throw away anything wet that can't be cleaned.
Clean surfaces using a disinfectant cleanser and dry them thoroughly. Never add bleach to other cleansers.
If you are running a portable generator, avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by keeping it outside, far from your house and your neighbor’s, away from windows and in an area with good air circulation.
For a basic overview, read the Environmental Protection Agency’s guide "Flood Cleanup and the Air in Your Home."
Drinking Water
Check with your local authorities before using any water, because it may be contaminated.
The Food and Drug Administration provides detailed advice on keeping food and water safe after flood conditions. In particular, if you don't have bottled water on hand, boil water for one minute to make sure it's safe to drink, after filtering out any sediment. This will kill most pathogens.
You may also disinfect water by adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water; stir well, then let stand for a half hour.
After flooding, well water should be tested and disinfected. To find a certified lab, see NRDC’s Smarter Living guides.
Food and Utensils
If you lost power and/or suffered flooding, make sure your refrigerated food is safe:
Discard any food that has or may have come into contact with flood water. Discard damaged canned goods.
Thoroughly wash pans, dishes and utensils using soap and hot water (if available). Rinse and then sanitize by immersing them in clean boiling water or soaking them for 15 minutes in a gallon of clean water mixed with a 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach.
Wash and sanitize countertops the same way.
If you have an appliance thermometer in your freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40°F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
If your freezer doesn't have an appliance thermometer, you will need to check each package for safety. Look for ice crystals -- a sign it’s still cold -- or check the package with a food thermometer to see if it is 40°F or cooler. If it isn’t, discard the item. If it is, go ahead and refreeze it.
Refrigerated food will be safe if the power was out for less than four hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. But discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) stored above 40°F for two hours or more.
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After Evacuation
Don’t return home until the area is declared safe by local officials.
Don’t enter your home if you smell gas or if it is still surrounded by floodwaters.
Going Home
Be wary of your footing -- loose boards or slippery tiles may pose a hazard.
Check your home for damage, in particular:
If you smell gas or hear it hissing, open a window and leave immediately.
Turn off the electricity at the fuse box, but only if you are dry and don’t have to stand in water to do so. You may need to have your wiring checked by a professional -- obvious signs of damage include sparks and broken or frayed wires.
Look for cracks in the roof, foundation and chimney. If you’re worried that your home is structurally unsound, leave immediately.
Inspect appliances and unplug any that are wet. They may need to be checked by a professional before being restarted.
Inspect water and sewage pipes for damage. If you find cracks or leaking, turn off the main valve where the water supply enters the house..
In addition, take pictures of any damage for insurance purposes, and contact your agent. Remember to save receipts for all repair and cleaning costs.
For more information, see the Federal Emergency Management Agency's page on returning home.
Cleaning Up
To protect yourself from health hazards posed by mold, be sure to wear:
Goggles without vent holes (to prevent mold getting into your eyes)
An N-95 respirator (protects against mold spores; available at hardware stores)
Gloves (to avoid touching mold)
Long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and boots or work shoes
During clean up:
Throw away anything wet that can't be cleaned.
Clean surfaces using a disinfectant cleanser and dry them thoroughly. Never add bleach to other cleansers.
If you are running a portable generator, avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by keeping it outside, far from your house and your neighbor’s, away from windows and in an area with good air circulation.
For a basic overview, read the Environmental Protection Agency’s guide "Flood Cleanup and the Air in Your Home."
Drinking Water
Check with your local authorities before using any water, because it may be contaminated.
The Food and Drug Administration provides detailed advice on keeping food and water safe after flood conditions. In particular, if you don't have bottled water on hand, boil water for one minute to make sure it's safe to drink, after filtering out any sediment. This will kill most pathogens.
You may also disinfect water by adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water; stir well, then let stand for a half hour.
After flooding, well water should be tested and disinfected. To find a certified lab, see NRDC’s Smarter Living guides.
Food and Utensils
If you lost power and/or suffered flooding, make sure your refrigerated food is safe:
Discard any food that has or may have come into contact with flood water. Discard damaged canned goods.
Thoroughly wash pans, dishes and utensils using soap and hot water (if available). Rinse and then sanitize by immersing them in clean boiling water or soaking them for 15 minutes in a gallon of clean water mixed with a 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach.
Wash and sanitize countertops the same way.
If you have an appliance thermometer in your freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40°F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
If your freezer doesn't have an appliance thermometer, you will need to check each package for safety. Look for ice crystals -- a sign it’s still cold -- or check the package with a food thermometer to see if it is 40°F or cooler. If it isn’t, discard the item. If it is, go ahead and refreeze it.
Refrigerated food will be safe if the power was out for less than four hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. But discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) stored above 40°F for two hours or more.
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Homes Run Foul with Sewage Damage
A WATER company has apologised after raw sewage flooded into homeowners’ gardens and it took engineers more than 13 hours to respond.
Residents in Castle Dore, Freshbrook, frantically called the firm at 11pm on Friday night after they noticed the manhole cover was bubbling over – spewing untreated human waste into the street.
But it was not until 12.40pm on Saturday afternoon that an engineer, who had to be dispatched from London, arrived to start clearing the blockage.
The leak affected 10 gardens in total and even left one resident, Arlene Carson, 58, and her friend Margaret Pitt, 56, wading into 3ft of rancid water with buckets in a desperate bid to stop it flowing into the house.
Arlene, a business performance manager at a law firm, said: “It was awful – my garden was knee-deep in human excrement and raw sewage was in everybody’s back garden’s.
“Neither Margaret or I had wellies or rubber gloves so we had to roll our trousers up and go in. We were throwing bucket-loads over the fence but it just did not stop.
“I was frightened it was going to get into the conservatory and even when we came back in there was the smell of faeces. We were getting conflicting reports from the operatives at Thames Water because they were telling different people different things.
“They said they could send someone out that evening but it would be noisy or they would send someone out at 8.30am but I called them at 10.30am and they said the engineers were on their way.
“We all felt we were getting fobbed off by Thames Water.”
Neighbour Natalie Moss, 26, said she could not let her three young children, McCauley, nine, Aaliyah, seven, and Jaycee, 18 months, out to play in the garden after their toys were ruined.
She said: “It was everywhere – all round the trampoline and their toys. I tried to pick some of it up but the grass was too wet.
“I’m not going to be able to let them out for a few days at least.”
A spokesman for Thames Water said there would now be an internal investigation into the incident and work would be carried out to restore the damage.
She said: “We are really sorry for the unacceptable delay in getting an engineer out to clear this blockage.
“A full investigation will be carried out to find out why this happened.
“Our focus now is on clearing the blockage and getting people's gardens back to how they were. Any claims for compensation will be dealt with on an individual basis.”
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Residents in Castle Dore, Freshbrook, frantically called the firm at 11pm on Friday night after they noticed the manhole cover was bubbling over – spewing untreated human waste into the street.
But it was not until 12.40pm on Saturday afternoon that an engineer, who had to be dispatched from London, arrived to start clearing the blockage.
The leak affected 10 gardens in total and even left one resident, Arlene Carson, 58, and her friend Margaret Pitt, 56, wading into 3ft of rancid water with buckets in a desperate bid to stop it flowing into the house.
Arlene, a business performance manager at a law firm, said: “It was awful – my garden was knee-deep in human excrement and raw sewage was in everybody’s back garden’s.
“Neither Margaret or I had wellies or rubber gloves so we had to roll our trousers up and go in. We were throwing bucket-loads over the fence but it just did not stop.
“I was frightened it was going to get into the conservatory and even when we came back in there was the smell of faeces. We were getting conflicting reports from the operatives at Thames Water because they were telling different people different things.
“They said they could send someone out that evening but it would be noisy or they would send someone out at 8.30am but I called them at 10.30am and they said the engineers were on their way.
“We all felt we were getting fobbed off by Thames Water.”
Neighbour Natalie Moss, 26, said she could not let her three young children, McCauley, nine, Aaliyah, seven, and Jaycee, 18 months, out to play in the garden after their toys were ruined.
She said: “It was everywhere – all round the trampoline and their toys. I tried to pick some of it up but the grass was too wet.
“I’m not going to be able to let them out for a few days at least.”
A spokesman for Thames Water said there would now be an internal investigation into the incident and work would be carried out to restore the damage.
She said: “We are really sorry for the unacceptable delay in getting an engineer out to clear this blockage.
“A full investigation will be carried out to find out why this happened.
“Our focus now is on clearing the blockage and getting people's gardens back to how they were. Any claims for compensation will be dealt with on an individual basis.”
sewage removal long island
Fire Causes Heavy Damage to Building Downtown
A staple building in downtown Newberry has been heavily damaged after an early morning fire on Monday.
It took four fire departments to put the blaze out at the Berger's Building, which is family owned and has been around for decades.
In Newberry residents gathered downtown as they looked and helped sift through what's left of the strucuture.
"We've got a shell of a building standing and that's about it for right now," said Ernie Mattis, a financial advisor for Edward Jones, which was also damaged.
"Bergen's has been here for many, many, many, years," said former State Senator Jim Lander. "I can't tell you how many but the building, much longer than that. This building is one of the key structures to downtown Newberry."
The fire sparked at about 2:00 Monday morning and it tore through the second floor, home to a clothing store called the Gentlemen's Corner.
"When I saw it on the news about an hour later and saw flames coming out of the second floor," explained Mattis. "By the time I got here I was real surprised to see anything standing."
Mattis said that even though the fire didn't spread to neighboring businesses there's still damage.
"All they've told us is there's significant water damage, there's about two feet of water inside and a lot of smoke damage."
Luckily no one was injured which is a bright side for those affected.
"At least it wasn't a home and there was no injury, and no loss of life. That's the most important thing. Everything else can be replaced and that's just what we'll have to do," Mattis said.
For a tight knit community like Newberry its a tough day
"Kind of like a hit in the stomach to see an old friend, and an old friend's business to have gone up in flames like this," said Lander. "Newberry will rally around, and we'll get the job done."
There is still no word on what caused the fire but SLED is helping with the investigation.
fire damage long island
It took four fire departments to put the blaze out at the Berger's Building, which is family owned and has been around for decades.
In Newberry residents gathered downtown as they looked and helped sift through what's left of the strucuture.
"We've got a shell of a building standing and that's about it for right now," said Ernie Mattis, a financial advisor for Edward Jones, which was also damaged.
"Bergen's has been here for many, many, many, years," said former State Senator Jim Lander. "I can't tell you how many but the building, much longer than that. This building is one of the key structures to downtown Newberry."
The fire sparked at about 2:00 Monday morning and it tore through the second floor, home to a clothing store called the Gentlemen's Corner.
"When I saw it on the news about an hour later and saw flames coming out of the second floor," explained Mattis. "By the time I got here I was real surprised to see anything standing."
Mattis said that even though the fire didn't spread to neighboring businesses there's still damage.
"All they've told us is there's significant water damage, there's about two feet of water inside and a lot of smoke damage."
Luckily no one was injured which is a bright side for those affected.
"At least it wasn't a home and there was no injury, and no loss of life. That's the most important thing. Everything else can be replaced and that's just what we'll have to do," Mattis said.
For a tight knit community like Newberry its a tough day
"Kind of like a hit in the stomach to see an old friend, and an old friend's business to have gone up in flames like this," said Lander. "Newberry will rally around, and we'll get the job done."
There is still no word on what caused the fire but SLED is helping with the investigation.
fire damage long island
Flood Impacts Multiply as Water Rises
A house exploded in an evacuated flood zone early Monday, one of the most dramatic moments in New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Irene, which led to record flooding, caused widespread power outages and was being blamed for at least three deaths.
Pompton Lakes, where the house exploded, is surrounded by three rivers and was seeing serious flooding Monday. Record crests were expected in the area.
The house exploded early Monday, sending a cloud of smoke over the area as firefighters sought to contain the flames from a boat.
Maryann Waibel, who lives a few blocks from the house, said she heard an explosion around 6:30 a.m. "I heard the bang and the house trembled," she said. "I thought, `Did my foundation crack?' Then I went outside and saw the billowing smoke."
Pompton Lakes Police Lt. Ronald Thomas said it was assumed no one was in the house because of the evacuation, and there were no reports of any injuries. Natural gas service had not been turned off in the neighborhood, he said.
Neighborhoods from Mount Holly near Philadelphia to Hoboken outside New York City were evacuated as the state's streams and rivers rose.
The water was exceptionally high along the Raritan and Passaic Rivers, among other waterways across the state.
When Trenton's Assunpink Creek flooded to a record level, it submerged train tracks in the state capital that are used by Amtrak and commuter trains.
The flooding made scores of roads big and small impassable. That meant New Jersey Transit buses were altering routes. Most of the state's train lines were shut down. Gov. Chris Christie told the state's residents to stay home if they could on Monday, but didn't close state government offices.
State climatologist David Robinson said Irene would join the handful of storms whose names make people wince, like Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the Ash Wednesday Nor'easter of 1962 and the memorable storm of 1944.
He said that as a rainstorm, it will end up about as bad as Tropical Storm Doria, which doused the state on Aug. 27 and 28, 1971 -- exactly 40 years ago. The only worse flooding, statewide, was the Great Flood on 1903, which came in October of that year, the month after the last hurricane that made landfall in the state.
"We're talking a tragic mass of flooding," he said.
For rivers like central New Jersey's Millstone, it's the fourth -- and most severe -- major flood since Floyd a dozen years ago.
He said the state seems to be in a pattern of frequent heavy rains. It's not all explained by impervious surfaces brought in by sprawl. "It's not as if in 1999, New Jersey suddenly developed," he said.
Irene brought about 10 inches of rain in Stockton and Wayne, and at least 5 inches almost everywhere.
It had been a wet month before Irene's rains arrived Saturday. Robinson said the average total rainfall from observation centers across the state will be about 15 inches for the month -- 3 inches more than October 2005, which had been the rainiest recorded in the state. Some locations have had about 2 feet of rain in all.
By Monday morning, about 625,000 homes and business still had their power knocked out, down from a high of over 900,000. If the winds at the shore had been a bit higher than Sunday's peak gusts of 60 to 69 mph, power outages would have been even more severe.
With the heavy volume of work and obstacles presented by flooded roads and downed trees, utilities said it could take up to a week to restore power to everyone. That left people fretting about the contents of their freezers, living by candlelight and trying hard to preserve their cellphone batteries so they could maintain a link to the rest of the world.
The storm is being blamed for at least three deaths in the state, all Sunday: a 20-year-old Salem County woman found in her flooded car, a 39-year-old man from Wanaque swept away as he walked around looking at damage and a postal worker from Orange, who was swept away after his car was marooned near the Kearny facility where he works.
flood damage long island
Pompton Lakes, where the house exploded, is surrounded by three rivers and was seeing serious flooding Monday. Record crests were expected in the area.
The house exploded early Monday, sending a cloud of smoke over the area as firefighters sought to contain the flames from a boat.
Maryann Waibel, who lives a few blocks from the house, said she heard an explosion around 6:30 a.m. "I heard the bang and the house trembled," she said. "I thought, `Did my foundation crack?' Then I went outside and saw the billowing smoke."
Pompton Lakes Police Lt. Ronald Thomas said it was assumed no one was in the house because of the evacuation, and there were no reports of any injuries. Natural gas service had not been turned off in the neighborhood, he said.
Neighborhoods from Mount Holly near Philadelphia to Hoboken outside New York City were evacuated as the state's streams and rivers rose.
The water was exceptionally high along the Raritan and Passaic Rivers, among other waterways across the state.
When Trenton's Assunpink Creek flooded to a record level, it submerged train tracks in the state capital that are used by Amtrak and commuter trains.
The flooding made scores of roads big and small impassable. That meant New Jersey Transit buses were altering routes. Most of the state's train lines were shut down. Gov. Chris Christie told the state's residents to stay home if they could on Monday, but didn't close state government offices.
State climatologist David Robinson said Irene would join the handful of storms whose names make people wince, like Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the Ash Wednesday Nor'easter of 1962 and the memorable storm of 1944.
He said that as a rainstorm, it will end up about as bad as Tropical Storm Doria, which doused the state on Aug. 27 and 28, 1971 -- exactly 40 years ago. The only worse flooding, statewide, was the Great Flood on 1903, which came in October of that year, the month after the last hurricane that made landfall in the state.
"We're talking a tragic mass of flooding," he said.
For rivers like central New Jersey's Millstone, it's the fourth -- and most severe -- major flood since Floyd a dozen years ago.
He said the state seems to be in a pattern of frequent heavy rains. It's not all explained by impervious surfaces brought in by sprawl. "It's not as if in 1999, New Jersey suddenly developed," he said.
Irene brought about 10 inches of rain in Stockton and Wayne, and at least 5 inches almost everywhere.
It had been a wet month before Irene's rains arrived Saturday. Robinson said the average total rainfall from observation centers across the state will be about 15 inches for the month -- 3 inches more than October 2005, which had been the rainiest recorded in the state. Some locations have had about 2 feet of rain in all.
By Monday morning, about 625,000 homes and business still had their power knocked out, down from a high of over 900,000. If the winds at the shore had been a bit higher than Sunday's peak gusts of 60 to 69 mph, power outages would have been even more severe.
With the heavy volume of work and obstacles presented by flooded roads and downed trees, utilities said it could take up to a week to restore power to everyone. That left people fretting about the contents of their freezers, living by candlelight and trying hard to preserve their cellphone batteries so they could maintain a link to the rest of the world.
The storm is being blamed for at least three deaths in the state, all Sunday: a 20-year-old Salem County woman found in her flooded car, a 39-year-old man from Wanaque swept away as he walked around looking at damage and a postal worker from Orange, who was swept away after his car was marooned near the Kearny facility where he works.
flood damage long island
8/30/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 9 mph becoming south.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southwest wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind between 3 and 9 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind between 6 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Labor Day: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
flood cleanup long island
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southwest wind between 4 and 7 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind between 3 and 9 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind between 6 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Labor Day: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
flood cleanup long island
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Water Pipe Burst at New Housing Development
A FAMILY was woken in the early hours of this morning (Sunday) when a pipe burst and flooded their house.
The husband and wife and their child were asleep in their home at the new housing development Wyckery Copse near Jennett's Park when a water pipe burst under the sink, filling the kitchen and dining room with about an inch of water.
Fire crews from Bracknell Fire Station were called to the house at 5am after the woman heard the sound of water running.
The firefighters turned the water pipe outside the property off and helped the family to clean up the house for around 20 minutes.
No lasting damaged was done to the house.
The husband and wife and their child were asleep in their home at the new housing development Wyckery Copse near Jennett's Park when a water pipe burst under the sink, filling the kitchen and dining room with about an inch of water.
Fire crews from Bracknell Fire Station were called to the house at 5am after the woman heard the sound of water running.
The firefighters turned the water pipe outside the property off and helped the family to clean up the house for around 20 minutes.
No lasting damaged was done to the house.
Home Sinks as Town Disputes Claim
James and Donna Pasquini had a spacious new addition built on their Coeymans home in 2004. The expansion was to be for Donna’s ailing mother, who died before she could enjoy it.
These days, the addition serves as a comfortably furnished bedroom suite, including a bath and walk-in closet, but it’s far from perfect. Daily, the Pasquinis lament the expanding cracks and gaps that appear on the walls and ceiling faster than they can count them.
Beneath the Pasquinis’ home, the ground is shifting, and they believe it’s all because an old town storm sewer that runs along their property line is collapsing bit by bit.'
A low stone wall between their property and a neighbor’s, built above the in-ground culvert, has toppled toward their home, along with a row of shrubs and two ash trees, which were removed when they listed toward the Pasquinis’ roof.
The Pasquinis say the first signs of trouble appeared two years ago after an extraordinarily rainy spring. In August, they noticed that the joints on the walls and ceilings in their addition were pulling apart. The concrete floor of a storage space below the living area began to crack.
They immediately began communicating with officials of the town of Coeymans to address the problem. A town crew cut down the two trees, the town hired an engineering firm to study the collapsing storm sewer and the Pasquinis said they were repeatedly reassured by town officials that the problems stemming from the collapsing culvert would be addressed quickly.
“They told us all along they would take care of it,” James said when I met the Pasquinis in their kitchen this week.
“We had no reason not to believe them,” said Donna.
It seems that, perhaps, the town’s idea of “taking care of it,” was different than the Pasquinis’.
These days, the addition serves as a comfortably furnished bedroom suite, including a bath and walk-in closet, but it’s far from perfect. Daily, the Pasquinis lament the expanding cracks and gaps that appear on the walls and ceiling faster than they can count them.
Beneath the Pasquinis’ home, the ground is shifting, and they believe it’s all because an old town storm sewer that runs along their property line is collapsing bit by bit.'
A low stone wall between their property and a neighbor’s, built above the in-ground culvert, has toppled toward their home, along with a row of shrubs and two ash trees, which were removed when they listed toward the Pasquinis’ roof.
The Pasquinis say the first signs of trouble appeared two years ago after an extraordinarily rainy spring. In August, they noticed that the joints on the walls and ceilings in their addition were pulling apart. The concrete floor of a storage space below the living area began to crack.
They immediately began communicating with officials of the town of Coeymans to address the problem. A town crew cut down the two trees, the town hired an engineering firm to study the collapsing storm sewer and the Pasquinis said they were repeatedly reassured by town officials that the problems stemming from the collapsing culvert would be addressed quickly.
“They told us all along they would take care of it,” James said when I met the Pasquinis in their kitchen this week.
“We had no reason not to believe them,” said Donna.
It seems that, perhaps, the town’s idea of “taking care of it,” was different than the Pasquinis’.
Family Asses Home for Mold After Water Damage
A family in Creston forced out of their home by floodwaters earlier this summer say those floodwaters have finally receded on their property, but they expect damage costs to their home to be pretty high.
Randy and Debi Beaver plan on inspecting all of the homes on their property this weekend to determine what they can salvage.
They told us one of their homes is already at a total loss because of water damage to both floors while the lower level of another home looks like it has mold inside.
The Beaver's have yet to discover any water damage to the home connected to that one. Water up to 30 feet deep forced the Beaver's to evacuate their property this past June.
Randy and Debi Beaver plan on inspecting all of the homes on their property this weekend to determine what they can salvage.
They told us one of their homes is already at a total loss because of water damage to both floors while the lower level of another home looks like it has mold inside.
The Beaver's have yet to discover any water damage to the home connected to that one. Water up to 30 feet deep forced the Beaver's to evacuate their property this past June.
Blaze Causes $75 Thousand in Damage to Fire Department
The village fire department found itself in a familiar situation at a very unexpected location Wednesday afternoon when it was called to put out a fire at one of its own facilities.
Firefighters were dispatched at about 12:45 p.m. to smoke and flames at the rear of Howard Fire Station No 2 at 4165 Shawano Ave., which was unoccupied when the fire broke out, according to the Howard Fire Department.
Twelve firefighting units from Howard, Green Bay, Suamico, Pulaski and Hobart quelled most of the blaze in about 30 minutes, though firefighters stayed on the scene 2½ hours to completely extinguish the fire.
The fire caused $75,000 in losses, including heavy interior smoke damage and moderate structural damage, but fire trucks were mostly unscathed, and $250,000 in property value was preserved, according to the fire department.
The fire department believes the fire may have started in a storage area, but the Brown County Fire Investigation Task Force is still investigating.
found itself in a familiar situation at a very unexpected location Wednesday afternoon when it was called to put out a fire at one of its own facilities.Firefighters were dispatched at about 12:45 p.m. to smoke and flames at the rear of Howard Fire Station No 2 at 4165 Shawano Ave., which was unoccupied when the fire broke out, according to the Howard Fire Department.
Twelve firefighting units from Howard, Green Bay
, Suamico, Pulaski and Hobart quelled most of the blaze in about 30 minutes, though firefighters stayed on the scene 2½ hours to completely extinguish the fire.The fire caused $75,000 in losses, including heavy interior smoke damage and moderate structural damage, but fire trucks were mostly unscathed, and $250,000 in property value was preserved, according to the fire department.
The fire department believes the fire may have started in a storage area, but the Brown County Fire Investigation Task Force is still investigating.
Flood Victims Say $2000 Not Enough
A Murray community continues the overwhelming task of cleaning up after a flash flood caused thousands of dollars in damage. Last night Salt Lake County decided to help, paying up to $2,000 for each home damaged. Homeowners tell ABC4 that simply doesn’t start to cover the costs.
Last week a burst of rain was just too much for South Walden Glen Drive. A pipe up the street was under repair; it was nearly finished and just couldn’t handle the rain filling a gully behind homes. The water needed somewhere to go and unfortunately, it was inside homes.
Jenny Harknes also owns a home on Walden Glen Drive. She told ABC4, “I need all brand new furniture, brand new carpet, I’m out of my rent money, my washer and dryer.”
Starting over is overwhelming and expensive for each of the homeowners. Gurinder Ehaliwal said, “We don't have that kind of money to cover all that losses. I don't know who to turn to.”
Help isn’t coming from Insurance Companies. This Murray street isn’t in a flood zone, so the homeowners never signed up for flood insurance. Now the county says they will help, but at this point with only the $2,000.
When asked about the $2,000 Ehaliwal said, “It’s like a slap on your face. That's what I think.”
Harknes said, “I think that's an insult. It’s an outrage. $2,000 isn't going to fix this.”
County officials told ABC4 News, the $2,000 isn’t necessarily the end of their help. In two weeks they will present the total damage estimate reports from each homeowner to the County Council. At that point, they could decide to give out more cash.
Last week a burst of rain was just too much for South Walden Glen Drive. A pipe up the street was under repair; it was nearly finished and just couldn’t handle the rain filling a gully behind homes. The water needed somewhere to go and unfortunately, it was inside homes.
Jenny Harknes also owns a home on Walden Glen Drive. She told ABC4, “I need all brand new furniture, brand new carpet, I’m out of my rent money, my washer and dryer.”
Starting over is overwhelming and expensive for each of the homeowners. Gurinder Ehaliwal said, “We don't have that kind of money to cover all that losses. I don't know who to turn to.”
Help isn’t coming from Insurance Companies. This Murray street isn’t in a flood zone, so the homeowners never signed up for flood insurance. Now the county says they will help, but at this point with only the $2,000.
When asked about the $2,000 Ehaliwal said, “It’s like a slap on your face. That's what I think.”
Harknes said, “I think that's an insult. It’s an outrage. $2,000 isn't going to fix this.”
County officials told ABC4 News, the $2,000 isn’t necessarily the end of their help. In two weeks they will present the total damage estimate reports from each homeowner to the County Council. At that point, they could decide to give out more cash.
8/25/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 10pm and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind between 6 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 7 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 70. South wind between 3 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind between 3 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday Night: Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 69. Windy, with a east wind 13 to 16 mph increasing to between 29 and 32 mph. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 3 and 4 inches possible.
Sunday: Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 77. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts in excess of 4 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers likely before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 7 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 70. South wind between 3 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind between 3 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday Night: Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 69. Windy, with a east wind 13 to 16 mph increasing to between 29 and 32 mph. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 3 and 4 inches possible.
Sunday: Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 77. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts in excess of 4 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers likely before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Fire Damage in Valley Station Home
A Valley Station home suffered heavy damage after an explosion and fire Tuesday night.
It happened in the 7300 block of Betsy Ross Drive around 7:30 p.m. PRP fire crews say they found heavy smoke and fire in the rear of the home. The assistant chief says responding to a report of an explosion changed their response.
"It changes the whole operation quite a bit," said Asst. Chief Eric Duffy. "The integrity of the building is compromised considerably, so it's a little more risky putting folks in there to try to do a search."
No one was home at the time of the explosion. Firefighters say the fire is not suspicious, however Metro Arson and LG&E are investigating possible causes for the blast.
It happened in the 7300 block of Betsy Ross Drive around 7:30 p.m. PRP fire crews say they found heavy smoke and fire in the rear of the home. The assistant chief says responding to a report of an explosion changed their response.
"It changes the whole operation quite a bit," said Asst. Chief Eric Duffy. "The integrity of the building is compromised considerably, so it's a little more risky putting folks in there to try to do a search."
No one was home at the time of the explosion. Firefighters say the fire is not suspicious, however Metro Arson and LG&E are investigating possible causes for the blast.
City and Residents to Deal with Water Damage
In the alley between 42nd and San Jacinto Streets, the rushing stream caused by a broken water main is now dry, but homeowners and city officials continue to deal with the damage.
Late Wednesday night, homeowners began noticing water seeping into their homes after a 24-inch cast-iron water main burst. The pipe was installed in 1954, Odessa City Manager Richard Morton said.
Morton said utility workers were called out at 11 p.m. Wednesday to isolate the break and shut off water valves. The crews worked overnight Thursday and finished repairing the broken portion of the pipe and restored water service around 2 p.m. Friday, according to a City of Odessa news release.
The news release stated the total gallons of water lost could not be determined yet and assessments to calculate the gallons lost will be made next week. Daily water usage was 27.5 million gallonsThursday; previous Thursdays had lower water usage at 20.3 million daily gallons used on Aug. 4 and 19.49 million daily gallons used on Aug. 11.
Assistant City Manager Michael Marrero said the total cost of pipe repairs, water lost and man hours have not been tabulated yet.
City risk-management agents visited homes in the 200 block of San Jacinto Street on Thursday and Friday to assess the flood damage. The department also hired Permian Claims Service for additional damage assessment and Advance Cleaning to vacuum out water from homes.
Risk management director Darrell Wells said he has not yet received a bill from the outside agents and contractors to determine how much damages to homes cost.
Wells said risk managers and other assessors will meet next week to decide what the city of Odessa will need to do.
Though Kevin Mann, a San Jacinto Street resident, appreciated Advance Cleaning vacuuming water from his home, Mann said he is still unsatisfied with how the city of Odessa is handling the flood situation. Mann said he was particularly upset with the risk managers who came to his home.
“The representatives from the city, they’re trained to talk that they’re not responsible. It was like she was reading a teleprompter,” Mann said of one risk assessment agent who came to his home. “I’m standing in 2 feet of water. The last thing I want to hear is that they’re not going to pay. I don’t want to hear that. Where’s the humanity? Where’s the compassion?”
The City of Odessa is protected from having to pay for water damage from an incidental burst water main under a statute in the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code. Wells said, however, that immunity doesn’t mean the city won’t help the affected homeowners.
“I can understand how they feel if my house were under water,” Wells continued. “We (city officials) are always in a situation where we have to balance our concern and sensitivity to homeowners with recognition to our judicial responsibility to folks that pay taxes.”
“Bottom line is that it doesn’t mean expenditures can’t be made, but we’re supposed to, by law, take great care of decisions in spending tax money,” Wells added.
Another water main broke near San Jacinto Street in 2003, but Wells said each flood situation is different in approach.
Utilities director Matt Irvin said the pipe will be re-evaluated for full replacement. The next phase of the replacement projects will begin construction in September near East Loop 338 and downtown Odessa, Assistant City Engineer Yervand Hmayakyan said. The projects are expected to be complete in 2013, Hmayakyan said.
Mann, who has lived in his home since 2000, said the 2003 flood did not affect his home, but the house did have flood damage before he bought it. Mann and his family are in the process of selling their home to move to Midland. The buyers are still interested in owning the home, Mann said.
Mann’s insurance, Allstate, does not cover flood damage caused by water mains outside the homeowner’s property. Mann said neither he nor his wife have been able to talk directly with their insurance agent.
While Mann starts repairing his home and yard for the new home owners, he said that he has hired an attorney to “see what the options are.”
“I want this resolved. I want to make it right for everyone,” Mann said. “Everybody needs to do the right thing and get it taken care of.”
Late Wednesday night, homeowners began noticing water seeping into their homes after a 24-inch cast-iron water main burst. The pipe was installed in 1954, Odessa City Manager Richard Morton said.
Morton said utility workers were called out at 11 p.m. Wednesday to isolate the break and shut off water valves. The crews worked overnight Thursday and finished repairing the broken portion of the pipe and restored water service around 2 p.m. Friday, according to a City of Odessa news release.
The news release stated the total gallons of water lost could not be determined yet and assessments to calculate the gallons lost will be made next week. Daily water usage was 27.5 million gallonsThursday; previous Thursdays had lower water usage at 20.3 million daily gallons used on Aug. 4 and 19.49 million daily gallons used on Aug. 11.
Assistant City Manager Michael Marrero said the total cost of pipe repairs, water lost and man hours have not been tabulated yet.
City risk-management agents visited homes in the 200 block of San Jacinto Street on Thursday and Friday to assess the flood damage. The department also hired Permian Claims Service for additional damage assessment and Advance Cleaning to vacuum out water from homes.
Risk management director Darrell Wells said he has not yet received a bill from the outside agents and contractors to determine how much damages to homes cost.
Wells said risk managers and other assessors will meet next week to decide what the city of Odessa will need to do.
Though Kevin Mann, a San Jacinto Street resident, appreciated Advance Cleaning vacuuming water from his home, Mann said he is still unsatisfied with how the city of Odessa is handling the flood situation. Mann said he was particularly upset with the risk managers who came to his home.
“The representatives from the city, they’re trained to talk that they’re not responsible. It was like she was reading a teleprompter,” Mann said of one risk assessment agent who came to his home. “I’m standing in 2 feet of water. The last thing I want to hear is that they’re not going to pay. I don’t want to hear that. Where’s the humanity? Where’s the compassion?”
The City of Odessa is protected from having to pay for water damage from an incidental burst water main under a statute in the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code. Wells said, however, that immunity doesn’t mean the city won’t help the affected homeowners.
“I can understand how they feel if my house were under water,” Wells continued. “We (city officials) are always in a situation where we have to balance our concern and sensitivity to homeowners with recognition to our judicial responsibility to folks that pay taxes.”
“Bottom line is that it doesn’t mean expenditures can’t be made, but we’re supposed to, by law, take great care of decisions in spending tax money,” Wells added.
Another water main broke near San Jacinto Street in 2003, but Wells said each flood situation is different in approach.
Utilities director Matt Irvin said the pipe will be re-evaluated for full replacement. The next phase of the replacement projects will begin construction in September near East Loop 338 and downtown Odessa, Assistant City Engineer Yervand Hmayakyan said. The projects are expected to be complete in 2013, Hmayakyan said.
Mann, who has lived in his home since 2000, said the 2003 flood did not affect his home, but the house did have flood damage before he bought it. Mann and his family are in the process of selling their home to move to Midland. The buyers are still interested in owning the home, Mann said.
Mann’s insurance, Allstate, does not cover flood damage caused by water mains outside the homeowner’s property. Mann said neither he nor his wife have been able to talk directly with their insurance agent.
While Mann starts repairing his home and yard for the new home owners, he said that he has hired an attorney to “see what the options are.”
“I want this resolved. I want to make it right for everyone,” Mann said. “Everybody needs to do the right thing and get it taken care of.”
8/24/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind between 11 and 18 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind between 13 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 9pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of showers before 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. West wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: A chance of thunderstorms before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday: Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 78. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Wednesday: Breezy.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind between 13 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 9pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of showers before 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. West wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: A chance of thunderstorms before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday: Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 78. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Wednesday: Breezy.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Homeowners Fear Mold
When Karen Heath and her roommate returned to their Annapolis condo after a week-long trip to Massachusetts, they opened the door to find a nightmare: The pipe to the ice maker had burst, causing severe water damage to their home of 16 years.
To complicate matters, both women are mentally disabled and suffer from health complications. The condo was packed with piles of their possessions.
The damage was bad enough that they needed new flooring and drywall, and they couldn't afford it.
"It only takes 72 hours from the time water hits a surface to become mold," von Schilcher said. "They have a lot of content in the house and, by the time they got back, there was already a mold smell. One of the women has asthma. It wasn't safe for them to be living there."
To complicate matters, both women are mentally disabled and suffer from health complications. The condo was packed with piles of their possessions.
The damage was bad enough that they needed new flooring and drywall, and they couldn't afford it.
"It only takes 72 hours from the time water hits a surface to become mold," von Schilcher said. "They have a lot of content in the house and, by the time they got back, there was already a mold smell. One of the women has asthma. It wasn't safe for them to be living there."
3 Homes Damaged By Fire
Three houses were damaged by fire that officials say was started by a child playing with matches.
Firefighters were sent to a house in the 1200 block of Jefferson Street at about 6 p.m. Saturday, August 20, 2011. They arrived to find the house engulfed in flames.
Heat and flames were already damaging the homes on either side of the fire address as well.
The fire was brought under control in about 45 minutes. Firefighters remained there for about four hours.
Fire Marshal Mark Crooks said a child went into an abandoned home and started a fire by playing with matches.
The child escaped and was not hurt.
One of the neighboring houses sustained about $2,500 in damage to the exterior. The house on the other side of the fire address sustained about $10,000 damage plus $700 damage to the shed.
Both of the damaged neighboring homes are insured.
Crooks said no criminal charges will be filed.
Firefighters were sent to a house in the 1200 block of Jefferson Street at about 6 p.m. Saturday, August 20, 2011. They arrived to find the house engulfed in flames.
Heat and flames were already damaging the homes on either side of the fire address as well.
The fire was brought under control in about 45 minutes. Firefighters remained there for about four hours.
Fire Marshal Mark Crooks said a child went into an abandoned home and started a fire by playing with matches.
The child escaped and was not hurt.
One of the neighboring houses sustained about $2,500 in damage to the exterior. The house on the other side of the fire address sustained about $10,000 damage plus $700 damage to the shed.
Both of the damaged neighboring homes are insured.
Crooks said no criminal charges will be filed.
3rd Floor Flood Closes Emergency Room
Ambulances are being re-routed from the emergency room of the English hospital centre's Lachine campus because of a flood.
Hospital officials said a pipe burst on the third floor of the building Thursday and water leaked onto lower floors.
Walk-in patients are being asked to use another hospital, but will not be turned away if they show up at Lachine, officials said.
On Thursday afternoon, workers were onsite cleaning the mess left by the flood and repairing the pipe.
The hospital expects operations to return to normal by Monday.
Hospital officials said a pipe burst on the third floor of the building Thursday and water leaked onto lower floors.
Walk-in patients are being asked to use another hospital, but will not be turned away if they show up at Lachine, officials said.
On Thursday afternoon, workers were onsite cleaning the mess left by the flood and repairing the pipe.
The hospital expects operations to return to normal by Monday.
8/23/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southwest wind between 3 and 8 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind between 6 and 16 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind between 10 and 17 mph.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 11 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind between 7 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 72. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 79. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday Night: Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy and windy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind between 6 and 16 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind between 10 and 17 mph.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 11 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind between 7 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 72. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 79. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday Night: Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy and windy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday, August 22, 2011
City to Check Sewer System
Frustrated South Windsor homeowners ripped out soggy carpets and drywall Friday while trying to rid their basements of sewage stench after an intense storm Thursday caused flooding.
Mayor Eddie Francis said public works officials were looking into the problems on several streets in the Cabana Road areas of St. Clair College and St. Gabriel Catholic school, but were unable to explain what went wrong.
"This was something quick and not prolonged like successive rainfalls over a month," the mayor said. "Some people had flooding in their basement for the first time in years.
"Something doesn't add up because with the rainfall we had, people should not have been experiencing what they did. We've got our engineers investigating what's going on."
Sandy Pupatello, who lives in the 15000 block of St. Gabriel Crescent, said she and her husband were busy helping a next door neighbour bail out when they returned to find water filling their own finished basement, including a full kitchen and family room.
"My husband came back to get the pool pump in our basement to help the neighbours and he saw the water coming up," said the mother of four young girls.
She said it was the first time they've been flooded.
Mayor Eddie Francis said public works officials were looking into the problems on several streets in the Cabana Road areas of St. Clair College and St. Gabriel Catholic school, but were unable to explain what went wrong.
"This was something quick and not prolonged like successive rainfalls over a month," the mayor said. "Some people had flooding in their basement for the first time in years.
"Something doesn't add up because with the rainfall we had, people should not have been experiencing what they did. We've got our engineers investigating what's going on."
Sandy Pupatello, who lives in the 15000 block of St. Gabriel Crescent, said she and her husband were busy helping a next door neighbour bail out when they returned to find water filling their own finished basement, including a full kitchen and family room.
"My husband came back to get the pool pump in our basement to help the neighbours and he saw the water coming up," said the mother of four young girls.
She said it was the first time they've been flooded.
Lab Helps Flood Restoration Efforts
Powerful rainstorms have recently hit three counties in Southern New Jersey and caused flooding. Unfortunately, many of these property owners will face environmental contaminations when returning.
Today, Federal and state agents will begin preliminary damage assessments in three South Jersey counties hardest hit by heavy rains and floods earlier this week. Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties will be inspected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state Office of Emergency Management to help determine whether New Jersey will get federal disaster recovery assistance. The preliminary damage estimate for Cumberland County is around $20 million.
Tragically, flood waters have entered countless properties, ruined belongings and soaked building materials. These flooded properties not only have to deal with water damage issues and subsequent mold growth, but also environmental concerns since the flood waters may contain sewage, bacteria, asbestos and chemical contaminants. “Residents and businesses who have experienced flood damage to their property are advised to contact their insurance company and open a claim for damages”, states Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of EMSL Analytical, Inc.
As the cleanup process begins mold contaminants that have begun to grow in the properties and any microbial or chemical contaminants that entered the structures with the flood waters could cause health problems. EMSL, a full service testing laboratory can help by providing testing equipment and analysis for mold, bacteria, asbestos, mycotoxins, endotoxins, sewage contamination indicator organisms and all types of chemical contaminants. It is important that properties with these pathogens or chemical contaminants be properly remediated. Otherwise future building occupants could be impacted by everything from allergies and infectious diseases to exposure to cancer causing chemicals.
Today, Federal and state agents will begin preliminary damage assessments in three South Jersey counties hardest hit by heavy rains and floods earlier this week. Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties will be inspected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state Office of Emergency Management to help determine whether New Jersey will get federal disaster recovery assistance. The preliminary damage estimate for Cumberland County is around $20 million.
Tragically, flood waters have entered countless properties, ruined belongings and soaked building materials. These flooded properties not only have to deal with water damage issues and subsequent mold growth, but also environmental concerns since the flood waters may contain sewage, bacteria, asbestos and chemical contaminants. “Residents and businesses who have experienced flood damage to their property are advised to contact their insurance company and open a claim for damages”, states Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of EMSL Analytical, Inc.
As the cleanup process begins mold contaminants that have begun to grow in the properties and any microbial or chemical contaminants that entered the structures with the flood waters could cause health problems. EMSL, a full service testing laboratory can help by providing testing equipment and analysis for mold, bacteria, asbestos, mycotoxins, endotoxins, sewage contamination indicator organisms and all types of chemical contaminants. It is important that properties with these pathogens or chemical contaminants be properly remediated. Otherwise future building occupants could be impacted by everything from allergies and infectious diseases to exposure to cancer causing chemicals.
Lightning Possibly Responsible for Fire
RADNOR — Police responding to a parked sport utility vehicle smashed by a downed tree branch quickly discovered smoke emanating from the house next door — both possible results of a lightning strike Sunday, officials said.
Radnor Township Assistant Fire Chief Michael Maguire said police were called to a home on the 500 block of West Beechtree Lane shortly before 4 p.m. for a possible lightning strike.
According to Maguire, lightning may have struck a nearby tree and dislodged a large branch that fell onto a Lexus SUV parked in the driveway.
While on the scene, the officers noticed smoke coming from the home next door and called fire officials around 3:54 p.m., Maguire said.
Firefighters entered the home to find heavy smoke coming from the basement.
“The fire originated in the rafters in the basement and extended from the rafters into the walls,” Maguire said.
While the blaze is still under investigation, the fire may have been related to the nearby lightning strike, he said.
Maguire said the owners of the home were out of town, but had been notified of the fire.
Radnor Township Assistant Fire Chief Michael Maguire said police were called to a home on the 500 block of West Beechtree Lane shortly before 4 p.m. for a possible lightning strike.
According to Maguire, lightning may have struck a nearby tree and dislodged a large branch that fell onto a Lexus SUV parked in the driveway.
While on the scene, the officers noticed smoke coming from the home next door and called fire officials around 3:54 p.m., Maguire said.
Firefighters entered the home to find heavy smoke coming from the basement.
“The fire originated in the rafters in the basement and extended from the rafters into the walls,” Maguire said.
While the blaze is still under investigation, the fire may have been related to the nearby lightning strike, he said.
Maguire said the owners of the home were out of town, but had been notified of the fire.
County Building Open Despite Water Damage
County building fully open today despite Friday flood
A crew continued to work Sunday at the five-story Santa Cruz County Governmental Center to clean up a flood from a broken water valve in a fourth-floor restroom Friday evening.
The center will be open today, but some hallways might be partially closed as restoration and drying work is being done, said Nancy Gordon, the county's director of general services.
Friday, at 6:30 p.m., about 90 minutes after the regular close of business, a clean water pipe burst in a restroom, sending water cascading downward. The deluge came about 90 minutes after the regular close of business, but 15 employees were evacuated. It's unclear where those employees worked, but the 24-hour Sheriff's Office is located on the third floor.
An environmental assessment will be done at some point, Gordon added, to make sure everything has been cleaned and dried and is sound. The assessment will cost $5,000, she said, as that is the insurance deductible amount.
A firm estimate of what the total mop-up cost might be was unavailable Sunday.
A crew continued to work Sunday at the five-story Santa Cruz County Governmental Center to clean up a flood from a broken water valve in a fourth-floor restroom Friday evening.
The center will be open today, but some hallways might be partially closed as restoration and drying work is being done, said Nancy Gordon, the county's director of general services.
Friday, at 6:30 p.m., about 90 minutes after the regular close of business, a clean water pipe burst in a restroom, sending water cascading downward. The deluge came about 90 minutes after the regular close of business, but 15 employees were evacuated. It's unclear where those employees worked, but the 24-hour Sheriff's Office is located on the third floor.
An environmental assessment will be done at some point, Gordon added, to make sure everything has been cleaned and dried and is sound. The assessment will cost $5,000, she said, as that is the insurance deductible amount.
A firm estimate of what the total mop-up cost might be was unavailable Sunday.
8/22/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. North wind between 6 and 11 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West wind between 3 and 8 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind between 7 and 14 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind between 10 and 14 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Northwest wind between 7 and 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West wind between 3 and 8 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind between 7 and 14 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind between 10 and 14 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Still Cleaning Up After Flood
Some Fairmont residents say they're fed up with the draining problem on their street and that Sunday's rain hasn't helped the situation.
"Homewood Avenue just looked like a river. I missed it because I was asleep, but when I got up on Sunday morning, the neighbors were digging out. That's when we found out about the damage. Half of the neighbors didn't even know it happened until they woke up on Sunday morning," said resident Chris Griffith.
He said an elderly lady lost her car in the flood, the second time it's happened to her since she's lived here.
Griffith said the Marion County Commission brought people from the Day Report Center to clean up her basement, which was flooded with more than four feet of water on Sunday.
"We took our community workers from the day report center and helped her get her basement cleaned up and take stuff upstairs where they would go through it and haul some of the stuff away that was ruined," said Commissioner Butch Tennant.
Residents said they'd like to see more drainage systems installed along Homewood Avenue.
"There's no drains at all except for these. Everything else that comes down, it comes straight down the middle of the road, and takes that hard right into their driveway, or it continues down and goes into Hickman Run Creek at the bottom of the hill."
Griffith said the flooding issue has been going on for 30 plus years, and that the neighborhood is waiting for the city to come out and look at the drainage problem.
He said in the meantime, residents are helping each other out, and cleaning up the mess that Sunday's rain left.
"Homewood Avenue just looked like a river. I missed it because I was asleep, but when I got up on Sunday morning, the neighbors were digging out. That's when we found out about the damage. Half of the neighbors didn't even know it happened until they woke up on Sunday morning," said resident Chris Griffith.
He said an elderly lady lost her car in the flood, the second time it's happened to her since she's lived here.
Griffith said the Marion County Commission brought people from the Day Report Center to clean up her basement, which was flooded with more than four feet of water on Sunday.
"We took our community workers from the day report center and helped her get her basement cleaned up and take stuff upstairs where they would go through it and haul some of the stuff away that was ruined," said Commissioner Butch Tennant.
Residents said they'd like to see more drainage systems installed along Homewood Avenue.
"There's no drains at all except for these. Everything else that comes down, it comes straight down the middle of the road, and takes that hard right into their driveway, or it continues down and goes into Hickman Run Creek at the bottom of the hill."
Griffith said the flooding issue has been going on for 30 plus years, and that the neighborhood is waiting for the city to come out and look at the drainage problem.
He said in the meantime, residents are helping each other out, and cleaning up the mess that Sunday's rain left.
Sewage Line Breaks Near Lakeside Home, Residents Concerned
A putrid smell permeated what is usually a beautiful stretch of shoreline near Lake L’Homme Dieu Beach Monday morning.
A sewer pressure force-main broke near Highway 29 North and County Road 73, within feet of Lake L’Homme Dieu on Sunday, according to Bruce Nelson, Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District (ALASD) executive director.
“This is just a fact of life in the sewer business,” Nelson said. “Things break.”
ALASD’s radio system sent a high level alarm at 1:50 p.m. Sunday, indicating the wet well level near the lake was high.
The pump was turned off about 5 p.m. and ALASD contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Nelson said the raw sewage water seen from above ground spanned an area about 100 feet by 30 feet wide.
“We saw it right away,” he said.
The remaining sewage water that spilled onto the land would be treated with lime for disinfection, Nelson said.
Septic trucks were brought in to haul wastewater out to the plant.
“Our employees did a wonderful job last night and I was very proud of them,” Nelson said.
According to Nelson, 12 ALASD employees responded to the site within two hours and worked until 4 a.m. Monday.
“Through their efforts and with the assistance of local haulers, uninterrupted sewer service continued to be provided to all ALASD customers,” Nelson stated in an e-mail to the Echo Press.
ALASD called in D and H Field Services from Osakis for assistance Sunday night, according to employee Chris Zenner. The company has experience pumping manure, he said.
D and H used a portable pump and ran a pressure line to pump the wastewater up to the manhole near the New Testament Church on Highway 29.
Ferguson Brothers of Alexandria was brought in to dig at the site of the break and repair the 8-inch pipe, according to Nelson.
Nelson believes the wastewater did not flow into the lake. Samples of the water were taken at about 9 a.m. Monday from four locations in the lake for fecal coliform testing: the swimming beach; mid-lake; the outlet to Lake Carlos; and about 100 feet from the site of the break. Results from an independent lab were anticipated to be available within about 24 hours.
Nelson said he did not have any reports of sewage in residents’ basements as of Monday morning.
“When sewage spills, it smells, but it is temporary, and the odor did not affect anyone’s home or workplace,” he said.
He anticipated the break would be repaired Monday.
Dennis Miller, president of the Lake L’Homme Dieu Association, voiced concerns about the sewage leaking into the lakes.
“The way the grass is matted back and the defined channel of sludge that is heading into the lake – this is a significant contribution from the flow of this... raw sewage.”
As a retired district conservationist in Alexandria with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, Miller said he disagreed strongly with Nelson’s belief that wastewater did not enter the lake.
Miller said he viewed the area from a boat Monday morning.
“There definitely was spillage into the lakes,” he said. “Sewage was hanging on the rocks at the water’s edge.”
He agreed that immediate testing in the lake should be conducted.
“I feel that there was enough sewage in there to cause a concern with opening the beach,” he said.
Miller also expressed concerns about the growing size of ALASD.
“How many of these things are going to keep on occurring in the future because they have gotten too large from what they intended to be?” he asked. “In the past, we have been very concerned with where they are discharging. We recognize that accidents happen and they will continue to happen, but we are also concerned about the amount of volume that they are trying to put through that plant.”
Al Lieffort, park superintendent, said vehicles should not cross through the barricades surrounding the area.
“The rubber line is fairly fragile.”
Lieffort said he wanted the county to find someone to conduct surface water tests for fecal colonies over the next several weeks.
“It is just an idea at this point,” he said.
Lieffort said decisions on whether the lake would be open or closed to swimming would be made after the water test results were received. Signs would post information concerning any closures.
Even though Lieffort felt the sewer break was “quite a ways away” from the beach, he said, “It is going to migrate through the soil and get into the lake eventually. It is unclear how much fecal content can get into the water.”
A sewer pressure force-main broke near Highway 29 North and County Road 73, within feet of Lake L’Homme Dieu on Sunday, according to Bruce Nelson, Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District (ALASD) executive director.
“This is just a fact of life in the sewer business,” Nelson said. “Things break.”
ALASD’s radio system sent a high level alarm at 1:50 p.m. Sunday, indicating the wet well level near the lake was high.
The pump was turned off about 5 p.m. and ALASD contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Nelson said the raw sewage water seen from above ground spanned an area about 100 feet by 30 feet wide.
“We saw it right away,” he said.
The remaining sewage water that spilled onto the land would be treated with lime for disinfection, Nelson said.
Septic trucks were brought in to haul wastewater out to the plant.
“Our employees did a wonderful job last night and I was very proud of them,” Nelson said.
According to Nelson, 12 ALASD employees responded to the site within two hours and worked until 4 a.m. Monday.
“Through their efforts and with the assistance of local haulers, uninterrupted sewer service continued to be provided to all ALASD customers,” Nelson stated in an e-mail to the Echo Press.
ALASD called in D and H Field Services from Osakis for assistance Sunday night, according to employee Chris Zenner. The company has experience pumping manure, he said.
D and H used a portable pump and ran a pressure line to pump the wastewater up to the manhole near the New Testament Church on Highway 29.
Ferguson Brothers of Alexandria was brought in to dig at the site of the break and repair the 8-inch pipe, according to Nelson.
Nelson believes the wastewater did not flow into the lake. Samples of the water were taken at about 9 a.m. Monday from four locations in the lake for fecal coliform testing: the swimming beach; mid-lake; the outlet to Lake Carlos; and about 100 feet from the site of the break. Results from an independent lab were anticipated to be available within about 24 hours.
Nelson said he did not have any reports of sewage in residents’ basements as of Monday morning.
“When sewage spills, it smells, but it is temporary, and the odor did not affect anyone’s home or workplace,” he said.
He anticipated the break would be repaired Monday.
Dennis Miller, president of the Lake L’Homme Dieu Association, voiced concerns about the sewage leaking into the lakes.
“The way the grass is matted back and the defined channel of sludge that is heading into the lake – this is a significant contribution from the flow of this... raw sewage.”
As a retired district conservationist in Alexandria with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, Miller said he disagreed strongly with Nelson’s belief that wastewater did not enter the lake.
Miller said he viewed the area from a boat Monday morning.
“There definitely was spillage into the lakes,” he said. “Sewage was hanging on the rocks at the water’s edge.”
He agreed that immediate testing in the lake should be conducted.
“I feel that there was enough sewage in there to cause a concern with opening the beach,” he said.
Miller also expressed concerns about the growing size of ALASD.
“How many of these things are going to keep on occurring in the future because they have gotten too large from what they intended to be?” he asked. “In the past, we have been very concerned with where they are discharging. We recognize that accidents happen and they will continue to happen, but we are also concerned about the amount of volume that they are trying to put through that plant.”
Al Lieffort, park superintendent, said vehicles should not cross through the barricades surrounding the area.
“The rubber line is fairly fragile.”
Lieffort said he wanted the county to find someone to conduct surface water tests for fecal colonies over the next several weeks.
“It is just an idea at this point,” he said.
Lieffort said decisions on whether the lake would be open or closed to swimming would be made after the water test results were received. Signs would post information concerning any closures.
Even though Lieffort felt the sewer break was “quite a ways away” from the beach, he said, “It is going to migrate through the soil and get into the lake eventually. It is unclear how much fecal content can get into the water.”
Milford Home to be Demolished
Selectmen last night authorized the town to demolish a deteriorating Blanchard Road home if the property owner does not do it within 30 days.
Owner William Sprague, who lives on Cape Cod, did not object to the decision and told the board that he is in the process of receiving bids for the work.
"It's going to come down," Sprague said. "There's no question in my mind."
In June, Sprague told town leaders he would have the building demolished by the end of July after inspectors found numerous issues including broken and open windows, missing siding and trim, water damage to the ceiling and floors and extensive mold damage.
Sprague did not tear down the building last month and did not reply to multiple attempts by the town to contact him until receiving a certified letter on July 27. Sprague and Building Inspector John Erickson met last week when Sprague said that he would hire a local contractor to raze the home prior to last night's meeting.
"There has to be a set schedule," Selectman Brian Murray said. "Otherwise, we're going to be trapped in this situation that has gone on for four years. The board and town have been very accommodating to the detriment of your neighbors."
Selectman William Buckley said after the meeting that Sprague has a financial incentive to hire a contractor to tear it down because he can do it cheaper than the town could. If the town tears it down, the costs would be recovered through a lien on the property.
"I think we've hit the point where it's time to do this," Buckley said.
In other business, selectmen appointed Assistant Town Accountant Zachary Taylor the new town accountant, effective Sept. 19. Taylor replaces John Pyne Jr., whose last day was July 29 but officially retires in September after using his vacation time.
The board set Taylor's salary at $63,832 and will enter into a one-year oral contract with him.
Selectmen unanimously recommended to the Personnel Board that Erickson, who was hired as the town's new building commissioner effective in September, receive the same salary as Taylor.
Buckley said he felt Erickson should be compensated one step higher, or about $3,200 more, than Taylor because he has worked for the town longer.
"I think it demonstrates a commitment by the community," Buckley said.
Murray said: "Times being what they are, I would feel more comfortable keeping both on equal footing."
The board also approved a strengthened carnival policy formed after neighbors complained about an East Main Street carnival in June.
Selectmen also authorized the town to borrow $2.25 million - mostly for the high school field work - from UBS Financial Services. The New York company came in with the lowest interest rate at 2.6 percent.
The board set Oct. 24 as the date for a special Town Meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 52 Main St. The warrant will be open until Sept. 15.
Owner William Sprague, who lives on Cape Cod, did not object to the decision and told the board that he is in the process of receiving bids for the work.
"It's going to come down," Sprague said. "There's no question in my mind."
In June, Sprague told town leaders he would have the building demolished by the end of July after inspectors found numerous issues including broken and open windows, missing siding and trim, water damage to the ceiling and floors and extensive mold damage.
Sprague did not tear down the building last month and did not reply to multiple attempts by the town to contact him until receiving a certified letter on July 27. Sprague and Building Inspector John Erickson met last week when Sprague said that he would hire a local contractor to raze the home prior to last night's meeting.
"There has to be a set schedule," Selectman Brian Murray said. "Otherwise, we're going to be trapped in this situation that has gone on for four years. The board and town have been very accommodating to the detriment of your neighbors."
Selectman William Buckley said after the meeting that Sprague has a financial incentive to hire a contractor to tear it down because he can do it cheaper than the town could. If the town tears it down, the costs would be recovered through a lien on the property.
"I think we've hit the point where it's time to do this," Buckley said.
In other business, selectmen appointed Assistant Town Accountant Zachary Taylor the new town accountant, effective Sept. 19. Taylor replaces John Pyne Jr., whose last day was July 29 but officially retires in September after using his vacation time.
The board set Taylor's salary at $63,832 and will enter into a one-year oral contract with him.
Selectmen unanimously recommended to the Personnel Board that Erickson, who was hired as the town's new building commissioner effective in September, receive the same salary as Taylor.
Buckley said he felt Erickson should be compensated one step higher, or about $3,200 more, than Taylor because he has worked for the town longer.
"I think it demonstrates a commitment by the community," Buckley said.
Murray said: "Times being what they are, I would feel more comfortable keeping both on equal footing."
The board also approved a strengthened carnival policy formed after neighbors complained about an East Main Street carnival in June.
Selectmen also authorized the town to borrow $2.25 million - mostly for the high school field work - from UBS Financial Services. The New York company came in with the lowest interest rate at 2.6 percent.
The board set Oct. 24 as the date for a special Town Meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 52 Main St. The warrant will be open until Sept. 15.
Pizzeria Suffers Extensive Fire Damage
The interior of Dino's Pizza on Broadway was heavily damaged in a fire early Wednesday morning.
According to Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Mark Starnes, the restaurant's owner called the fire department around 2:15 a.m. and reported hearing a loud pop and seeing a fire in the basement of the building. The owner lived in an apartment attached to the restaurant and sustained no injuries.
Upon arrival of firefighters, moderate smoke was coming from the first and second floors.
According to a news release, firefighters began an aggressive interior attack on a heavy fire in the basement. Units from Jackson, Scott City and Gordonville responded after a second alarm was called. The fire was contained within an hour, but due to more smoke, Starnes said the firefighters had to break through walls in several areas, and discovered another small fire in the wall of the owner's apartment on the first floor in the back of the building.
Starnes said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but the fire marshal and fire inspectors said the cause appeared to be electrical.
Two house cats were removed from the building but did not survive due to smoke inhalation.
Starnes said there is heavy fire damage to the basement, heavy smoke damage to the first and second floors and extensive damage from firefighters performing a search for the second fire, but the building has not been deemed a total loss.
According to Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Mark Starnes, the restaurant's owner called the fire department around 2:15 a.m. and reported hearing a loud pop and seeing a fire in the basement of the building. The owner lived in an apartment attached to the restaurant and sustained no injuries.
Upon arrival of firefighters, moderate smoke was coming from the first and second floors.
According to a news release, firefighters began an aggressive interior attack on a heavy fire in the basement. Units from Jackson, Scott City and Gordonville responded after a second alarm was called. The fire was contained within an hour, but due to more smoke, Starnes said the firefighters had to break through walls in several areas, and discovered another small fire in the wall of the owner's apartment on the first floor in the back of the building.
Starnes said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but the fire marshal and fire inspectors said the cause appeared to be electrical.
Two house cats were removed from the building but did not survive due to smoke inhalation.
Starnes said there is heavy fire damage to the basement, heavy smoke damage to the first and second floors and extensive damage from firefighters performing a search for the second fire, but the building has not been deemed a total loss.
Pipe Bursts, Ceiling Collapses at Hotel in Charlotte
A portion of the ceiling in a Charlotte hotel collapsed Friday afternoon after heavy rains caused a pipe to burst.
Charlotte firefighters were called to Embassy Suites at 4801 S. Tryon Street at about 12:30 p.m.
A drainage pipe that helps drain water from the roof runs through the ceiling in the lobby. The pipe burst causing a portion of the ceiling to collapse and flood the lobby with water.
Erik Slemon and his father, Allan Goldberg, are from Miami and were staying at the hotel to attend a men's clothing trade show.
"In a matter of seconds it got a little stronger," Erik Slemon said. "I pulled out my phone and I shot it and the whole ceiling just came down. The whole lobby was flooded in a matter of five seconds."
No one was injured, and there is no official damage estimate from the flooding.
Charlotte firefighters were called to Embassy Suites at 4801 S. Tryon Street at about 12:30 p.m.
A drainage pipe that helps drain water from the roof runs through the ceiling in the lobby. The pipe burst causing a portion of the ceiling to collapse and flood the lobby with water.
Erik Slemon and his father, Allan Goldberg, are from Miami and were staying at the hotel to attend a men's clothing trade show.
"In a matter of seconds it got a little stronger," Erik Slemon said. "I pulled out my phone and I shot it and the whole ceiling just came down. The whole lobby was flooded in a matter of five seconds."
No one was injured, and there is no official damage estimate from the flooding.
8/10/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. West wind between 7 and 14 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind between 8 and 13 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. North wind between 5 and 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind between 5 and 9 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Monday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind between 8 and 13 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. North wind between 5 and 8 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind between 5 and 9 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Monday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Garage Fire Causes $200,000 in Damage
Milford firefighters extinguished a fire in a detached garage on Westbrook Street Friday, which left an estimated $20,000 in damage.
The fire destroyed the garage structure, and melted a portion of a fence and two vehicles parked in the driveway, said Milford Fire Chief John Touhey.
No one was injured in the blaze, reported about 2:20 p.m. The homeowner told fire officials he had deposited ash, from a fire in a pit the previous night, in a plastic garbage can.
The fire was sparked by the ash catching something combustible, said Touhey, who said it's not an uncommon problem.
Fires can be sparked for two days by ash, because the cool ash on top often provides a protective layer for hot ash that remains underneath, Touhey said. The Fire Department recommends people discard ash into metal containers, and store it away from structures.
Chris Maccagnano, the homeowner, said he was cleaning the garage Friday afternoon, and decided to toss the ash from the fire pit, which had been lit and extinguished the previous night. He said he put it in a container in the garage, and went back in to the house.
"Thirty minutes later, chaos."
The heat from the fire melted the front portion of two cars parked side-by-side in the driveway, Touhey said, damaged a plastic fence that ran alongside the garage, and also damaged a neighbor's garage. The fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived, he said, and took about 10 minutes to extinguish.
The fire destroyed the garage structure, and melted a portion of a fence and two vehicles parked in the driveway, said Milford Fire Chief John Touhey.
No one was injured in the blaze, reported about 2:20 p.m. The homeowner told fire officials he had deposited ash, from a fire in a pit the previous night, in a plastic garbage can.
The fire was sparked by the ash catching something combustible, said Touhey, who said it's not an uncommon problem.
Fires can be sparked for two days by ash, because the cool ash on top often provides a protective layer for hot ash that remains underneath, Touhey said. The Fire Department recommends people discard ash into metal containers, and store it away from structures.
Chris Maccagnano, the homeowner, said he was cleaning the garage Friday afternoon, and decided to toss the ash from the fire pit, which had been lit and extinguished the previous night. He said he put it in a container in the garage, and went back in to the house.
"Thirty minutes later, chaos."
The heat from the fire melted the front portion of two cars parked side-by-side in the driveway, Touhey said, damaged a plastic fence that ran alongside the garage, and also damaged a neighbor's garage. The fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived, he said, and took about 10 minutes to extinguish.
Burst Pipes Cause Problems for Home Owners
The extreme heat is forcing muddy water out of the ground in some Diboll neighborhoods.
"The particular type of pipe was put in in the early 70s," Diboll Water Superintendent Ronnie Lyles said. "It's asbestos concrete and when the ground dries out, the clay soil that the pipe is buried in, it starts shifting and when it does that the pipe will break."
Several pipes have burst in Diboll over the last few days.
"Yesterday we had a particular leak," Lyles said. "It got into an abandoned sewer line. It actually surfaced about three blocks down the road from where the actual leak was at. It took us a little bit to locate the actual leak and get it shut off."
Now, they work on Wells Street to get the leak shut-off in the 105-degree heat.
"The particular type of pipe was put in in the early 70s," Diboll Water Superintendent Ronnie Lyles said. "It's asbestos concrete and when the ground dries out, the clay soil that the pipe is buried in, it starts shifting and when it does that the pipe will break."
Several pipes have burst in Diboll over the last few days.
"Yesterday we had a particular leak," Lyles said. "It got into an abandoned sewer line. It actually surfaced about three blocks down the road from where the actual leak was at. It took us a little bit to locate the actual leak and get it shut off."
Now, they work on Wells Street to get the leak shut-off in the 105-degree heat.
"With the temperatures over 100 degrees every day, the ground just dries out and it starts moving," Lyles said.
Bea Suarez came home on a lunch break with her grandchildren and saw the newly fixed line.
"That is really crazy that in the winter when it is really cold, we go through this and now with the heat, it's doing the same thing, so it's just unbelievable," Suarez said.
Lyles and his crew try to do their work without the weather getting to them.
"We have a cooler in the back of the truck with water," Lyles said. "Try to stay as cool as possible. It's kind of tough right now."
For now, Lyles said they're working to stay caught up, but rain and cooler temperatures are what they really need.
If you see water running down the road, Lyles said call the city as soon as possible.
Bea Suarez came home on a lunch break with her grandchildren and saw the newly fixed line.
"That is really crazy that in the winter when it is really cold, we go through this and now with the heat, it's doing the same thing, so it's just unbelievable," Suarez said.
Lyles and his crew try to do their work without the weather getting to them.
"We have a cooler in the back of the truck with water," Lyles said. "Try to stay as cool as possible. It's kind of tough right now."
For now, Lyles said they're working to stay caught up, but rain and cooler temperatures are what they really need.
If you see water running down the road, Lyles said call the city as soon as possible.
8/5/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind between 5 and 11 mph.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind between 7 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind between 11 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind between 7 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind between 11 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Major Fire Causes Serious Damage to Popular Restaurant
FENWICK ISLAND, Del. - A fire at the popular Catch 54 Restaurant in Fenwick Island, Delaware forced those enjoying dinner to evacuate the restaurant Tuesday night.
The fire started around 8:30 PM at the seafood restaurant located on Delaware Route 54 overlooking Shark's Cove and the waterway between Shark's Cove and Assawoman Bay. The restaurant is across the water from Harpoon Hannah's, just over the Delware-Maryland border.
Fire crews from several Delaware locations along with a crew from Ocean City, Md. responded to the fire. Crews reported that when they arrived on the scene, the fire had engulfed the second floor and the roof.
It took crews two hours to bring the fire under control and no one was hurt.
The State's Fire Marshall's office is investigating the cause of the fire. Talk among those on the scene this morning indicated the fire may have started in the kitchen. However, in a report by DelmarvaNow.com , one of the owners of the restaurant, Matt Haley, says the fire did not start in the kitchen.
In the story, Haley also says the restaurant will be rebuilt, but it will take a few months.
The fire started around 8:30 PM at the seafood restaurant located on Delaware Route 54 overlooking Shark's Cove and the waterway between Shark's Cove and Assawoman Bay. The restaurant is across the water from Harpoon Hannah's, just over the Delware-Maryland border.
Fire crews from several Delaware locations along with a crew from Ocean City, Md. responded to the fire. Crews reported that when they arrived on the scene, the fire had engulfed the second floor and the roof.
It took crews two hours to bring the fire under control and no one was hurt.
The State's Fire Marshall's office is investigating the cause of the fire. Talk among those on the scene this morning indicated the fire may have started in the kitchen. However, in a report by DelmarvaNow.com , one of the owners of the restaurant, Matt Haley, says the fire did not start in the kitchen.
In the story, Haley also says the restaurant will be rebuilt, but it will take a few months.
Burst Pipe Floods Home
A Sandy home was damaged and a neighborhood flooded after a pipe on a water pump burst late Sunday afternoon.
Just after 4 p.m., emergency responders were called after a large amount of water rushed into the neighborhood at 2925 E. Durban Road (9355 South). One home sustained between $5,000 and $10,000 in damage.
Crews and neighbors worked together to divert the water with some dams to help protect other homes, said Derek Maxfield, battalion chief for the Sandy Fire Department.
It appears a pipe connected to a culinary-water pump facility above the homes had burst, Maxfield said. He wasn’t sure about the size, saying it was somewhere between 10 and 30 inches.
“In any case, it was a big pipe,” Maxfield said.
It took crews about 40 minutes to shut off the pipe, and several more hours to clean up the water.
Water service to Sandy may have experienced minor disruptions, Maxfield said, but they shouldn’t have lasted very long.
Just after 4 p.m., emergency responders were called after a large amount of water rushed into the neighborhood at 2925 E. Durban Road (9355 South). One home sustained between $5,000 and $10,000 in damage.
Crews and neighbors worked together to divert the water with some dams to help protect other homes, said Derek Maxfield, battalion chief for the Sandy Fire Department.
It appears a pipe connected to a culinary-water pump facility above the homes had burst, Maxfield said. He wasn’t sure about the size, saying it was somewhere between 10 and 30 inches.
“In any case, it was a big pipe,” Maxfield said.
It took crews about 40 minutes to shut off the pipe, and several more hours to clean up the water.
Water service to Sandy may have experienced minor disruptions, Maxfield said, but they shouldn’t have lasted very long.
8/3/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast
Late Afternoon: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: A chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind between 6 and 9 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 9 mph becoming southeast.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: A chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind between 6 and 9 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 9 mph becoming southeast.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
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