Curfew For Freehold Boro Sunday Night

Following Saturday's storm which has continued to leave residents in Freehold Township and Freehold Borough without power Mayor J Nolan Higgins announced a curfew has been instituted.

The curfew will run from dawn until dusk according to a press release issued by Monmouth County. "The issue right now is safety," Mayor Higgins said "I know residents want to pitch in, but because it is not immediately known how many of our downed wires are live, they should be avoided at all costs."

The mayor encouraged residents to "avoid the dangers and stay indoors after dark until power is restored."

As part of the curfew officers from the Freehold Boro police along with the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office will be patrolling the area. A reverse 911 system was used following the storm and police were distributing fliers in English and Spanish to alert them about the curfew according to the county.

Since the storm the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has sent crews from the Department of Public Works and the Division of Shade Tree to help in the cleanup efforts.

In the wake of Saturday's storm Freeholder Director John P. Curley said following the storm the county is providing the help it can to the area residents. "When an emergency arises, especially a storm that causes extensive damage and jeopardizes safety, the county is more than willing to help," he said. "Violent storms have been an almost daily occurrence here in Freehold all week, and we thank God no one was injured."

Freeholder Deputy Director Thomas A. Arnone said the fact that Freehold was impacted directly also affects how the county operates. "Freehold is the county seat, so when a disaster strikes the borough it also affects county operations," he said. "The county has resources above and beyond what Freehold Boro has at its disposal, so we will do whatever we can to assist during the crisis."

Saturday's storm also left its mark on other parts of the county including the East Freehold Showgrounds on Kozlowski Road that tore tents and knocked down trees. The storm forced the early cancellation of the Monmouth County Fair which was being held at the fairgrounds.

The press release from the county said crews from JCP&L worked through the night and got extra help Sunday afternoon "to help assess the damage and begin clearing debris and restoring power." An estimated 3500 in the Boro and the Township lost power as a result of the storm.

As of Sunday night there was no estimate as to when the power would be restored.

Until power is restored there are a number of locations Boro residents can go to get free ice and water. They include:

• The Foodtown Park Ave. Route 33 in Freehold
• ShopRite South Street, Route 79 in Freehold
• Acme, Route 9 in Freehold
• Stop & Shop Raintree Town Center in Freehold Township.

The Monmouth County press release also provides suggestions from JCP&L for residents who lose power. They include:

If only
your lights are out:

Check your circuit breakers or fuses.

• If no breaker is tripped or fuse is blown, the
  problem may be in the connection between JCP&L’s wires and your home. Call JCP&L’s toll-free, 24-hour Outage Reporting Line, 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
• Follow these other steps:
  • To safeguard your equipment and appliances - and
    to ease the initial load when power is restored – turn off or unplug televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, computers, and appliances that use electric motors such as refrigerators, freezers or air conditioners, until power is restored. Leave an incandescent light plugged in so you know when the power comes back on.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. These appliances are well insulated, so food will keep for hours if opening the
    door is kept to a minimum.
  • Use a flashlight or battery-powered lantern for light. Use care when burning candles; open flames are a dangerous fire hazard.

If your neighbors’ lights are out, too:

• Call JCP&L. They may not know that your
  power is out unless you notify them. To help them  respond most effectively, use their
  toll-free, 24-hour Outage Reporting Line, 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).
• Follow the other steps to take (above) during an outage.