Fast-moving storms leave path of destruction behind in Union
UNION, N.J. -- Thousands across New Jersey were without power Tuesday night because of the afternoon's extreme weather, with Union Township being among the hardest hit communities.
There's still cleanup left to do throughout Union, including on Dogwood Drive, where a live wire touched the ground and sparked flames.
Even in the rain, an electrical fire left the lawn scorched. Neighbor Saraya Polanco said it went on for at least an hour before crews very carefully put it out.
"There was a lot of wind and it was raining a lot, so it just felt like out of a movie ... The fire was pretty big considering the wire was small," she said.
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Within walking distance of her neighborhood, a large tree snapped and fell onto the front lawn of Washington Elementary School.
A tree in Angela Renna's backyard brought wires down with it when it fell.
"I live alone and I got so scared," she said.
Miraculously, she didn't lose power.
"I'm flabbergasted because I have to go through my homeowner's [insurance] for somebody else's tree in my yard. I'm gonna fight this. I'm 83 years old. How am I gonna do this?" she said.
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Daniel Flacks in nearby Kenilworth saw a tree come down on a truck while the driver was inside.
"This is pretty crazy. When Irene hit, there was a lot of tree damage, but this, a guy driving down the street getting hit, that's a lot," he said.
"Every year, it just keeps escalating. It just keeps getting worse and worse," Union resident Sam Polanco said.
Polanco is concerned by the extreme weather he sees in the region every year. He may have to stay with family for their air conditioning if he can't get his generator working.
"I can't work from home unless I get the generator up, and if I do get the generator up, I don't know if I can, I have to find my way back to Jersey City and finish work from there," he said.
PSE&G says so far, it's restored power to thousands of homes across the state.