Shelter life lures few in Lehigh Valley, northwest New Jersey

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Day 2 without power Wednesday saw local residents looking for help.

At shelters in Lehigh and Warren counties, children played as parents were thankful for electricity to keep life-giving medical machines working. Some came just for juice for their electronics, others for coffee.

Saucon Valley Middle School opened its doors for that daily perk too often taken for granted: a hot shower.

Still, the vast majority of the roughly 333,000 customers left powerless by Superstorm Sandy in the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey continued to stick it out at home, as utilities issued restoration estimates ranging from Friday night into next week.

“It stinks, but we used to live in Guam, so we’re used to typhoons,” said Kristine Helen Maurer, of Bethlehem.

Maurer could look across the street and see lights in her neighbor’s house, but she has no power.

“We’re on a different grid,” she said.

She expected the power outage, so she was well-stocked on basics such as flashlights and batteries. But Maurer never thought of evacuating or going to a shelter. Her brother, who has power, has been letting her shower at his place, and she has other friends assisting her, she said. She never thought she needed to go to a shelter.

“I suppose if nobody had (power), I’d do that,” she said.

Shelters near capacity

Compared to the enormity of the outages, emergency officials in the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey said they didn’t see the need for more shelters even as those open neared capacity.

Bob Mateff, Northampton County’s director of emergency management, said there is still room available at the 2121 City Line Road shelter in Bethlehem. The shelter has topped out at 80 people during the evenings the past few nights but can house 100. In case the shelter becomes too crowded, officials are prepared to open a second one as well, Mateff said.

“I have not had any reports by local officials that (lack of proper shelters) is a problem here,” Mateff said.

At the same time, Mateff acknowledged mounting frustrations, as days add up of living in close quarters in cold homes. Mateff said he’s received calls from people living with relatives who want to return home after spending too much time with extended family.

“We talk about maintaining a lot of empathy,” Mateff said.

In Hunterdon County, Public Safety Director George Wagner said 39 people stayed at the county shelter at 314 Route 12 in Raritan Township. County officials sent out safety tips and generator instructions ahead of the storm, and residents have been encouraged to seek shelter in their homes or with family and friends, he said.

“Hunterdon County residents are a resourceful lot,” he said. “We want people to shelter in place, but we want people to shelter in place safely.”

Warren shelter closing

In Warren County’s emergency shelter at Good Will Fire Co. No. 1 in Belvidere, county Public Safety Director Frank Wheatley said about 63 people stayed there Tuesday night, and the county has not seen the need to open a second shelter.

They might want to get too comfortable. The shelter is tentatively scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Friday due to a planned event at Good Will. The Warren County Emergency Operations Center has identified other shelters if needed, said Tim Johnston, the American Red Cross shelter manager in Belvidere

Johnston said he expected the shelter to reach its 100-person capacity Wednesday night due to requests from county emergency agencies.

“If there are extended power outages, I would expect to see more people starting to seek shelter,” Johnston said. “In Sussex and Warren counties, many residents don’t have septic and water.”

The shelter is providing food, water, cots and blankets, but some people are using other amenities.

“I’m here charging my cellphone,” said Belvidere resident Al Miers, who is without power. “I’ll head on back home again and feed the fire.”

Another Belvidere resident arrived at the shelter to warm up.

“I came here to get coffee,” said Ann Linaverry, a resident at Briarwood Court without power. “I can’t cook coffee on an electric stove.”

Belvidere resident Helen Cole brought her 88-year-old mother to the shelter because she was worried about her well being.

“Even for me, I was getting cold,” said Cole, who plans on staying until the power comes back.

‘They come in waves’

The American Red Cross Disaster Shelter Service Center in Bethlehem provided temporary shelter as well as electricity, heat, food and coffee.

About 57 adults and 25 children were staying there as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to Red Cross volunteer Nancy Steele. About 20 had come and gone throughout the day, Steele said.

“They come in waves,” she said. “There are a lot of people in here going through hard circumstances.”

Some had come to hook up their breathing machines, one woman came in with a 3-week old baby, and one man — with severe asthma — drove his motorcycle here to get out of his cold house, Steele said. The police convinced the man to get an ambulance and go to the hospital, she said.

Inside the shelter, green cots were covered most of the floor. Adults and children stood in line for a hot plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Some children ran in circles inside the warm building. Some adults waited patiently charging their cellphones, while others napped.

Bethlehem residents Frances and Thomas Blair spent about five hours at the shelter charging their cellphones and batteries for flashlights. It was their third day without power. The couple’s next goal was to find ice to preserve as much food as possible and propane to cook whatever they could.

“We’re going to go home and try to cook up what we can before we lose everything,” Frances said.

Hellertown resident Tracy Lonacaric and her five children checked in the shelter Monday morning. Three of her kids have asthma and she needed electricity to use her children’s breathing machines.

A few cots over, Hodge Todd, his wife, Tara, and their children Ethan Todd, 5 months, and William Rathman, 7, set up shop. The family left their Catasauqua residence Monday night for the shelter. Red Cross volunteers supplied formula for Ethan.

“We have no electric … nothing,” Hodge said. “It’s been crazy.

“These people here really care. It’s a blessing these shelters are open.”

Hot showers sought

Some of those seeking respite from their darkened homes came Wednesday to Saucon Valley Middle School, which opened up at 10 a.m. Wednesday for anyone looking for heat, a shower or a place to charge electronics. By 4 p.m., about 100 people had stopped by and officials were expecting even more after nightfall.

Ruth Sinko came to study online for a cosmetology licensing test Monday. Pam Thompson came to let her 7-year-old son, Brandon, run around and blow off some steam.

Robin Benner came for a hot shower — “and a hair dryer,” she promptly added.

The school district complex in Lower Saucon Township regained power Tuesday night. The school remained closed Wednesday because of some impassable roads, Superintendent Sandra Fellin said.

“If we can serve the community, we always open our doors,” she said.

The gym, at 2095 Polk Valley Road, will reopen as a drop-in center at 8 a.m. today.

Despite being without power for almost two days, Thompson and others were in good spirits and said they realized their problems were minor compared to others affected by Superstorm Sandy, particularly New Jersey Shore towns that officials acknowledged Wednesday will never be the same.

“Being without power is a pain in the rear end, but it’s not too damaging,” said Richard Morris, who was without both electricity and water at his Lower Saucon Township home. “All things considered, I think we are better off than the people in New Jersey.”


HOME SAFETY TIPS

Easton fire Chief John Bast urged people staying home without power to avoid using candles and instead to use battery-operated lights and flashlights.

“If you must use candles, please be extra, extra careful,” Bast said. Don’t leave candles lit when you go to sleep, and try to find candles with wide bases that won’t fall over easily, not thin, taped candles, he said.

He also recommended replacing smoke-detector batteries, something the department reminds residents to do the first weekend of November.

For people with gas stoves, ovens should remain off.

“Don’t use that to heat your home,” Bast said. “It’s not efficient anyway, and it’s dangerous.”

Every downed power line should be treated as though it’s live, Bast said.

If a power line has been marked with caution tape, it means someone already knows about it, Bast said.

“Calling 911 to report down wires that have already been checked is not going to help the power companies,” Bast said.


HELP WANTED

For Easton residents who can donate time, food or drinks to disaster relief efforts, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. on Wednesday urged them to volunteer at Easton’s Salvation Army at 1110 Northampton St. or St. John’s Lutheran Church at 330 Ferry St.