Lights On, Roads Clear (Except Madison Hill) in Clark

It's a better day today than yesterday in Clark. Lights are on, basements got pumped and roads were cleared. Here's the latest update as the town recovers from Irene.

Power Outages

As of this morning, approximately 200 homes had no power in two sections of town, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Jerry Fewkes.

Homes near Valley Road had been without power since Irene hit on Sunday and power was restored to those homes at about 7:30 p.m. Valley Road School is still without power, but is the next priority in that area.  

Another group of homes along Oak Ridge Road lost power on Sunday at around 6:30 pm. Power was restored to those homes at around 5 p.m. today.

According to Fewkes, there are no other major outages in town as of Monday evening.

The Roads

Valley Road near Valley Road School, the Valley Road bridge over the falls and Oak Ridge Road were finally opened to traffic today.

Though surging waters made the Valley Road bridge essentially disappear, the water has subsided and all was clear earlier today. After county officials inspected the bridge to make sure it was structurally sound, it was opened.

The only road closure presently is the Madison Hill Road bridge near the reservoir. Fewkes says water running underneath the bridge caused a pothole to form and then expand. Madison Hill Road is open for local traffic, but is stopped at the bridge, meaning you cannot drive the length of the road from Raritan Road to Westfield Avenue, but rather halfway on either side.

Fewkes says the bridge may be in need of major repairs and will likely be closed for some time. Because the bridge is part of the county-owned reservoir, the fix will be their project and not Clark's.

Downed Trees

Most downed trees have been cleared, according to Fewkes. One on Cook Street off of Valley Road still is waiting to be removed.