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Politics & Government

Skibitsky: Hurricane Gone, But "Stay Home and Stay Safe"

Warns residents to stay away from downed trees, power lines and standing water.

Hurricane Irene has passed through the Westfield area, but Mayor Andy Skibitsky is advising that, though damage to the area may not have been as extensive as once feared, residents should still stay inside and off the roads while town employees can secure live wires and reduce flooding. 

"Though Hurricane Irene has passed, we now must deal with the serious issues it left in its wake," Skibitsky said in a statement released around 1 p.m. Sunday. "Please be assured that the Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments are working tirelessly to address all the storm issues."

Emergency services and the Department of Public works have responded to "hundreds of calls for assistance" around the town, he said. The largest dangers right now are downed power lines, which not only pose a risk to workers and pedestrians walking around them but also have complicated the task of breaking down and removing fallen trees, many of which are entangled in the live wires. Skibitsky made a point to warn residents to stay away from downed trees, wires and standing water. 

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"As had been predicted for days, the sustained winds and heavy rains has resulted in numerous downed trees and power lines as well as some localized flooding," Skibitsky said in a statement. "As a result, there are power outages throughout the town and approximately 25% of the streets in town are closed." 

Patch had reported earlier this afternoon that from last night's storm. 

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This morning, PSE&G said about 330,000 New Jersey residents were without power. As of this afternoon, were still blacked-out, with one official saying it could take up to five days to restore all of the power. 

"The number of outages continues to climb as Hurricane Irene moves north and flooding impacts the region," the company. "PSE&G crews as well as tree contractors are working around the clock in restoration efforts, but customers should be prepared for potentially lengthy outages.”

The mayor warned that, though the storm has passed the area, Union County remains in a state of emergency, and residents should act accordingly. Skibitsky's heed to stay home echoes a similar sentiment from Governor Chris Christie himself, who asked all in the Garden State to . The county and state sentiment seems to be that, though , residents should not risk making things worse by any unneccessary driving on Sunday. 

The mayor also included the following emergency contacts for Westfield residents and those in the surrounding area:

For emergencies: 911

For Fire Department, non-emergencies: 789-4130

For Police Department, non-emergencies: 789-4000

PSE&G, to report power outage: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)

Westfield Emergency Radio Station: AM 1690

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