Severe thunderstorms hit Livingston on three different days, Monday, June 24; Wednesday, June 26; and Sunday, June 30, causing damage throughout the township and leaving hundreds of homes without electricity.
Monday, June 24
Thunderstorms on Monday, June 24, resulted in power outages in a variety of locations throughout town. The outages resulted in two people becoming trapped in elevators and requiring assistance.
An employee at the office building at 293 Eisenhower Parkway, and a resident at 5000 Pointe Gate Drive, were trapped in elevators there. Each was freed prior to firefighters’arrival.
In addition, a person was trapped inside the Lock Up Self-Storage facility at 305 Eisenhower Parkway due to a power outage. The Fire Department’s “knox box” key was used to open the doors and allow the individual to safely exit the building.
Monday, June 24, also saw a mulch fire at 19 Morningside Drive. It was believed that the fire was ignited by a generator starting up. The area was wet down and the fire was extinguished without incident.
A transformer fire was reported at 82 Naylon Avenue. Upon arrival, however, firefighters found the fire already out.
Wires were reported down outside 17 Melrose Drive. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that a tree branch had fallen onto the home’s primary wires, causing damage to the insulators in separate locations. Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) was notified and responded. The area was secured with caution tapes and cones.
There was also a report of a smoky odor in the vicinity of Clover and Carteret Roads.
It was suspected that the odor was coming from a downed tree touching disconnected wires. No smoke or fire involving wires was found, however, and the odor was traced to a nearby fire pit.
A tree branch fell onto the front lawn at 48 West Cedar Street, landing on service wires. The electric line was still attached, but disconnected from the pole. PSE&G was notified, the roadway was made passable, and the homeowner was advised.
A fire alarm at Lithos Estiatorio was activated due to a power outage.
On Tuesday, June 25, a tree fell down into primary wires in the driveway of Cedar Hill Country Club, causing a small brush fire. JCP&L was notified.
June 26 Storms
The storms of Wednesday, June 26, were also responsible for power outages.
According to Jersey Central Power and Light’s (JCP&L) First Energy online outage map, there were, on the Thursday morning after the storm, some 1,703 homes near Dickinson Lane without power. In addition, 273 outages were reported near Peach Tree Hill Road, and 483 homes close to Hillside Avenue lost power. The interactive map reported other outages scattered throughout the area, including near Old Short Hills Road.
Additionally, the Livingston Senior/Community Center lost electricity on June 26.
On Thursday, June 27, the carbon monoxide alarm at 3 Apple Tree Court was activated as a result of a generator running outside.
That same day, the Livingston Police Department requested the assistance of the Fire Department in determining if a vehicle outside of 97 Vere Terrace had been struck by lightning. There was evidence of a fire in the interior lower passenger column of the vehicle. Additionally, the plastic molding, dashboard, and windshield had all suffered significant damage, and the airbags had been deployed. Firefighters disconnected the car’s battery, and the owner was advised that the fire was likely due to a shorted-out fuse box.
Sunday Storms
Severe thunderstorms returned to Livingston throughout the evening of Sunday, June 30. The Livingston Fire Department was called to 130 North Livingston Avenue when a large tree branch fell and took down power service lines.
