Tropical Storm Andrea: Damage and Disasters
Beginning on May 6th, Tropical Storm Andrea tormented the east coast of the United States with heavy rains and gusty winds. However, news reports concerning the aftermath of this storm indicate that these natural forces caused more than just traffic and flooding for coastal regions. Andrea evolved into a brutal force spawning tornadoes in Florida and severe weather which lead to car accidents in the northeast.
Although the rains have ended, officials continue to survey the aftermath of Tropical Storm Andrea. And while many have taken to repairing damaged homes and buildings, unfortunately some mourn the deaths of family members.
Tropical Storm Andrea: Highway Havoc
As Tropical Storm Andrea soaked highways in New Jersey, residents of Gloucester county faced traffic, accidents and deaths. Reports indicate that three fatal car crashes occurred as a result of the hazardous streets. According to South Jersey Times, one man in Vineland off of Route 55 died after he had slipped off of a slick road and crashed into a tree. A similar accident took place in Jackson in which one woman was killed.
In other areas, flooding due to Tropical Storm Andrea left drivers stranded in Rahway, New York on Routes 27 and 35. Rescue teams were sent out to rescue motorists. Regulators temporarily shut down roadways along Route 27 from the Garden State Parkway to Route 35 as a precaution.
Emergency Landing in Newark
One plane was forced to divert to Newark Liberty International Airport following a lightning strike. Sources say that the pilot made an emergency landing to avoid any danger. The flight carried 148 passengers. No injuries were reported in regards to the impromptu landing.
The Conclusion of Tropical Storm Andrea
As Tropical Storm Andrea powers down, residents are grateful to escape the effects of the various hazards of Andrea, including:
- storm-spawned tornadoes (see “Tropical Storm Andrea Powers Down” for more details)
- car accidents on wet roads
- flooding
- power outages (roughly 500 to 2,000 homeowners in each county in Passaic and Middlesex as reported by Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSE&G) outage alert website)
- damage from debris
Now it’s on to clean-up and repairs for coastal inhabitants!
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