Last Tuesday, many residents in Mt. Laurel and surrounding communities were caught by surprise when a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area, packing high winds, heavy rain and lightning and leaving pockets of the township without power.
However, Mt. Laurel Police had a plan in place to deal with the aftermath of the unexpected storm.
Lt. Stephen Riedener of the Mt. Laurel Police Department said the police jumped into action in handling closed roads and malfunctioning power lines after the storm passed. The police department used Nixle alerts and social media to post updates on road closures.
One of the most dangerous obstacles for motorists following a storm causing widespread power outages is non-operational traffic lights. Riedener said the police department has plans on how to handle malfunctioning lights.
“We have a plan in place for something that’s the safest way to negotiate the intersection,” Riedener said.
In most cases, the police department is forced to set up a temporary traffic pattern instead of stationing an officer at every intersection where a light is out.
“When we have a storm like that come through, no town has the staffing to signalize an intersection,” Riedener said. “Our only recourse is once we’re able to get to it, we put traffic cones and barriers out.”
At intersections where traffic lights were out, police set up temporary traffic patterns that prevent people from crossing intersections and making left-hand turns to minimize the danger of driving through those areas.
Despite the setup, Riedener said many drivers try to circumvent the patterns. Doing so can set up a dangerous situation at the intersection.
“Quite often, people will make a turn from just beyond the cones or they’ll go out to the middle of the intersection or they’ll go out and move the traffic devices we have,” Riedener said.
Mt. Laurel Police did not have a number of traffic accidents and total calls for service for the days following the storm. Riedener said those numbers will not be finalized for a few weeks.
Mt. Laurel Township’s public works department was also busy removing trees fallen on roads and township property. Township manager Maureen Mitchell said public works removed approximately 50 trees as of last Thursday afternoon. The public works department also announced it would pick up curbside debris from homes daily following the storm.
The widespread power outages did not last as long in Mt. Laurel as in surrounding communities. The number of customers without power in the township was down to 19 percent by noon on Wednesday, according to PSE&G. Less than 1,000 customers remained without power into Thursday.
