Toppling Trees and Outages Come With Sandy

Heavy rain and gusts of wind from Hurricane Sandy have resulted in power outages and toppled trees in Red Bank and Shrewsbury, a precursor to what many experts believe could be historic damage once the storm's full brunt is shown to the area.

According to Jersey Central Power and Light's outage map, roughly 1,500 residents in Shrewsbury and Red Bank are currently without power due to storm damage.

In Shrewsbury, a tree snapped in half, falling onto power lines on Sycamore Avenue and causing outages along the roadway. Councilman Peter Meyer said the Shrewsbury Fire Department has only received two calls as of 2:30 p.m., though the department plans on being at full capacity and ready to respond when the storm hits the area directly at around 5 p.m.

Throughout Red Bank and Shrewsbury, neighborhood roads are littered with branches and small limbs making driving for the few still on the road way a slow-going proposition. Still, some needed to see the effects of the storm first hand and had gathered at Marine Park to take pictures of the white caps on the Navesink River.

According to various weather reports, Sandy is expected to bring consistent winds of around 30 miles per hour as well as gusts of as much as 75 mph to the area. In Red Bank, three locations are offering Temporary Comfort Stations to residents in need of aid, Mayor Pat Menna reported on his Facebook feed. Red Bank First Aid Squad on Spring Street, the community rooms of the United Methodist Church on Broad Street and the community area of Pilgrim Baptist Church on Shrewsbury Avenue are accepting residents.