Power crews full court press in Plainfield

Power came back on Oxford at 4:30 Sunday. This was the hardest hit street I have seen in Plainfield and in Union County for that matter - I drive to Elizabeth on various routes every weekday. There was some drama on Oxford.  When the power switch was flipped, one residents feeder line burst into flames.  The workers (from Pennsylvania)  handled it in stride.  One neighbor was cutting down a large tree on their front lawn, pro-actively preparing for the next storm.  It was a beautiful tree and I was sad to see it go.  But if you saw what happened on Oxford, you wouldn't want to criticize the homeowner.  What happened there was scary.  This is no longer a tree lined street.  Our city needs to find a way to do a massive tree planting program and Oxford should be at the top of the list.

Belivdere and Berkeley were powered up around 2 pm.  Thank you Florida utility crews.  Sleepy Hollow Lane was a hold out as was made clear by my friend Mary who had a lawn sign that indicated "13 days without power".  When I drove through at 7:30 they were finally back on the grid.  Thank you crews from Virginia and West Virginia.

Not all residents I spoke with knew for sure what their property insurance covers.  A few did not know about coverage for food spoilage or about payments for removal of downed trees on private property. 
You should read your policy and/or speak with the insurance adjuster about this and other policy features.  You pay a lot for that policy so make sure you get the full benefit.

There are still some residents without power but most people, at least in the second ward, have finally gotten back that which we take for granted. At least for a little while, we should think about the benefit of electricity, where it comes from and how precarious its supply can be.