Politics & Government

Union County Rep: "Easily the Most Devastation We've Seen"

Large swath of Route 22 shut down and many Union County residents are without power.

Many residents of Union County, N.J., emerged largely unscathed from Hurricane Sandy, but coastal areas of the county saw major damage from the tidal surge.

County government spokesman Sebastian D'Elia told The Huffington Post that Sandy had brought the county's worst storm.

"This is easily the most devastation we've seen," D'Elia said.

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D'Elia pointed to the destruction of the marina at the Port of Elizabeth, saying the tidal surge left the marina "pretty much gone. Boats have been scattered, and homes near the marina have been damaged.

In the Trembly Point neighborhood of Linden, N.J., D'Elia said that 20 to 30 homes experienced "massive flooding" in the middle of the night. He said county officials are still attempting to figure out the extent of the damage there.

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Trees throughout the county toppled and many roads remain blocked. A major portion of Rt. 22, a major highway in the county, is closed due to downed trees. D'Elia said county staff who came to the emergency management headquarters in Westfield had to take longer routes to navigate around blocked roads.

Fifty to 60 percent of Union County is without power, including all of Fanwood, Elizabeth, Union Township and Hillside, along with most of Summit, New Providence, Cranford, Scotch Plains and Westfield.

"It will take more than a few hours to clean up the damage," D'Elia said.

-This article originally appeared on Huffington Post's live blog. 


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