SANDY UPDATES: Schools Closed, SAT Testing Canceled in Teaneck

Note: Updates were published through Hurricane Sandy last week. For the latest Teaneck news, visit teaneck.patch.com. 

Hurricane Sandy has caused major damage across North Jersey. This page is a single source for all Teaneck-related storm updates. Check back often for new information.  

. Updates follow below. 

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Friday updates: 

5 p.m.: Power is reportedly coming back online to some areas of Teaneck. Officials say an area east of the train tracks could be back online within hours. Read more here. 

8:51 a.m.: The Teaneck Library and Rodda Center remain closed. 

Thursday updates: 

6:48 p.m.: SAT testing set for Saturday in Teaneck has been canceled and no new date has been set yet, according to a township alert. The Board of Education announced schools would be closed Friday. 

9:20 a.m.: Power outages remain, but some local businesses are open. Click for a list and share any open local businesses in the comments. All town offices are closed, but residents can charge phones at the police station. 

Wednesday updates: 

10:40 p.m.: Power has been restored to some areas of Teaneck, however, more than 10,000 customers are still without service, PSE&G reported late Wednesday.

There were differing estimates for when service could be fully restored in Teaneck. 

In an e-mail to residents, Councilman Elie Y. Katz said PSE&G told him it could be three to six days until service is restored. A township statement said service would likely be restored in up to five days. 

"Our best forecast as of now is that we will have virtually all of our impacted customers restored to service within the next seven to 10 days. There may still be isolated pockets of customers who have individual flooding or downed line issues that may take slightly longer," according to a statement from company spokeswoman Karen Johnson. 

Hackensack was the only other Bergen County town to show more than 10,000 without power, according to PSE&G's outage map Wednesday night. 

On a lighter note, the son of Teaneck's mayor was born during Hurricane Sandy. Click to read the full story. 

1:32 p.m.: Teaneck public schools will be closed Thursday, the district announced. Much of the town remained without power Wednesday afternoon. 

1:04 p.m.: Both of FDU's New Jersey campuses will be closed through Sunday at 3 p.m., the University said today. 

"All classes and activities are canceled. We ask that students not already on campus and non-essential personnel refrain from coming to campus," according to an FDU alert. 

11:00 a.m.: Residents can charge cell phones 24-hours a day at Teaneck Police Headquarters at 900 Teaneck Road, the township said. Teaneck officials released the following statement this morning: 

All fee and time limit restrictions in all municipal parking lots and all time-limit restrictions on any street. Normal parking restrictions will resume on Monday, November 5th at 12:00 a.m. The Building Department is performing damage assessments on homes that were struck by trees and assorted debris.

In addition, Department employees are performing a town-wide assessment in order to locate unreported damage.

Residents may recharge cell phones at Teaneck Police Headquarters at 900 Teaneck Road, 24 hours a day, until power is restored.

Fourth-quarter taxes were due on November 1st. However, as a result of the power outage, fourth-quarter taxes will now be due on the first day the Township opens for business after power is restored. Residents will have ten (10) days from that date to pay their taxes without penalty.

10:52 a.m.: Power is back on in some areas of Teaneck, including around the Glenpointe hotel complex. PSE&G's outage map, however, still showed more than 10,000 customers without power as of Wednesday morning. 

As a reminder, Teaneck officials are urging residents to stay indoors and not venture out after dark for trick-or-treating. The Cedar Lane Halloween event is cancelled for today. 

"We will reschedule as soon as power is up and streets are cleared of downed wires and trees," e-mails Karen Careccio, chair of the Cedar Lane Management Group. 

Gas stations on Teaneck Road have long lines backing out onto the street. 

Tuesday updates: 

9:30 p.m.: A Teaneck police officer was injured when a tree limb crashed into his patrol car Monday. Click for the full report. 

9:05 p.m.: The Glenpointe Marriott was evacuated after the hotel's generator power failed, staff confirmed. The Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, police and fire department responded to help clear guests. Emergency workers carried some guests down the stairs from upper floors, including those with life-sustaining equipment. 

A hotel staffer said workers were trying to repair the generator, but there was no estimate on when power would be restored. 

8:50 p.m.: Teaneck's police chief is asking parents to keep kids indoors on Halloween. If kids must go out, the chief is urging parents to stay close to home and take precautions to avoid any hidden power lines, including to use a flash light. Motorists should also take it slow and avoid traveling, if possible. 

PSE&G reported more than 10,000 customers in Teaneck still in the dark Tuesday night. 

3:02 p.m.: Public Service Electric and Gas has begun repair work in Teaneck, but outages could continue for at least a week as crews deal with scores of downed trees and limbs. 

The utility company was working Tuesday afternoon to repair a main electric line near Teaneck Road and Cedar Lane, according to Township Manager William Broughton. 

Unlike Irene, the area's power substations did not flood, Broughton said. Most of the local outages were caused by high winds snapping trees. 

Other PSE&G substations were flooded by storm surge along the Passaic, Hudson and Raritan Rivers, according to a company statement. 

A total of 123 trees were down across town, Broughton said. The DPW has been working nearly non-stop to clear streets. Ten crews were on the street, including outside contractors to help in tree removal efforts. 

Most of the town's roadways were open, although traffic lights were mostly out at busy intersections. Queen Anne Road, south of Cedar Lane, was blocked by a fallen tree. 

Holy Name Medical Center was working on a generator, the hospital said in a statement. Elective medical procedures had been cancelled, but the emergency department was fully functional. 

Tonight's council meeting would continue as planned with a small generator brought in to power recording equipment used at the meeting, Broughton said from the darkened town hall. 

A determination would be made later on whether to open town offices, Broughton said between handing out meeting agenda's and fielding questions from a few residents who stopped by town hall. 

He urged residents to stay away from downed wires and stay off the roads.

The meeting will begin at 8 p.m.

1:25 p.m.: Teaneck public schools will be closed Wednesday, the township announced today.

The district closed Monday and Tuesday after Gov. Christie urged all New Jersey schools to close due to the devastating impacts of Tropical Storm Sandy. 

Much of Teaneck remained without power after the storm struck the area, downing trees and leading to blocked roads.

10:50 a.m.: It appears that most of Teaneck is without power. Traffic lights are out at all major intersections and numerous trees are down. Township DPW crews are already out clearing debris. Most businesses are closed across the town. 

PSE&G said Sandy was the largest storm in company history, knocking out power to more than 1.2 million customers statewide. Power substations were flooded by storm surge along the Passaic, Hudson and Raritan Rivers. 

The company's chief executive, Ralph LaRossa, said this morning that power could be out for more than seven days. Urban areas were especially hard hit from flooded substations. 

Teaneck firefighters knocked down an electrical fire at River Road and North Street Monday night, authorities said late Monday. A lawn caught fire from downed power lines. There no immediate reports of any injuries. 

Monday Updates:

8:05 p.m Update: PSE&G is now reporting between 5,001 and 10,000 customers without power in Teaneck. 

7:20 p.m. Update: Widespread power outages are being reported in the southeast part of town, including the Glenpointe Complex and Degraw Avenue near Teaneck Road.

6:13 p.m. Update: Police and firefighters are responding to several reports of wires down and at least one reported transformer explosion on Bogert Street. The Glenpointe complex also briefly lost power. 

In a briefing Monday evening, Bergen County's emergency management director said winds are expected to increase after midnight and could pose the greatest danger through 3 a.m. Tuesday. 

PSE&G is reporting between 2,001 and 5,000 customers out in Teaneck. 

4:30 p.m. Update: There have been no storm-related injuries treated at Holy Name Medical Center's emergency room, a spokeswoman told Patch. Meanwhile, Route 4 westbound remains closed near Webster Avenue because of a downed tree. 

3:36 p.m. Update: A downed tree has forced the closure of Route 4 westbound, near Webster Avenue, the state transportation department reports. 

3:07 p.m. Update: High winds are pushing into the Teaneck-area. The National Weather Service has warned gusts could reach 80 mph. 

2:41 p.m. Update: PSE&G is now reporting up to 2,000 customers without power in Teaneck. 

2:34 p.m. Update: PSE&G says flooding is not impacting the New Milford electric substation, which powers sections of Teaneck. 

"We do have a mobile substation in place in case we have issues with the station," company spokeswoman Deann Muzikar said. 

In Teaneck, up to 500 customers are without power, the company reported. Authorities have been responding to reports of wires downed by branches and some small electrical fires.

1 p.m. Update: All township offices are now closed. Non-emergency calls should be directed to the police desk at 201-837-2600. Teaneck Public Schools will also be closed Tuesday. 

11:58 a.m. Update: Holy Name Medical Center says it is stocked up on supplies and ready for the storm. The hospital has activated its emergency plan, according to a statement. 

"As the hurricane approaches, we want to reassure the community that Holy Name will remain open and operational. The Medical Center has made comprehensive preparations and taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of our patients and staff," the statement said. "In the event of a power failure, Holy Name’s generators will ensure continued operation."

11:49 a.m. Update: The National Weather Service is reporting 39 mph wind gusts at Teterboro Airport. 

11:30 a.m. Update: A county-run shelter at Bergen Community College will open at noon, officials said Monday. 

The shelter can house those with special needs and pets, according to the county executive's office. Officials reminded residents to bring clothes and medications, and bring a carrier case for pets. 

Meanwhile, sections of Teaneck, Bogota and Hackensack were already beginning to flood late Monday morning. Flooding was reported on Pomander Walk and Riverview Avenue near the Hackensack River. 

Up to 500 PSE&G customers were without power in Teaneck, the company reported. Hurricane Sandy is expected to slam the area through tonight. Officials have warned that high winds could pose the greatest risk to the area. 

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