All Burlington County Roads Reopened A Week After Isaias

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Nearly one week after Tropical Storm Isaias hit the region, all county roads have reopened, Burlington County officials announced Monday morning.

There were two dozen county roads that were closed in the aftermath of the storm, which struck the region on Aug. 4.

The storm also left more than 80,000 people without power, but power has returned to all but about 18 properties countywide as of Monday.

“Last week started with Isaias and ended with more severe weather Friday,” Burlington County Freeholder Dan O’Connell, liaison to the county departments of Public Safety and Public Works, said. “Tens of thousands of us lost power for days and some two dozen county roads had to be cleared of fallen trees, branches, wires and debris. I’m grateful for all the county employees, public works crews, and first responders who worked tirelessly before, during and after the storms to help keep us safe and our county functioning. They have difficult jobs even during the best of circumstances, and this week was far from ideal. They deserve our thanks for the jobs they performed and the services they delivered.

“I also want to thank our residents who took the time to check on elderly neighbors or who assisted someone who lost power by bringing them food, water or ice. Often times it’s these simple acts of kindness that make our county and its communities so wonderful.”

The storms dumped just over 5.6 inches of rain on the region last week, including 2.6 inches in Medford, officials said. None of the north, southwest or south branches of the Rancocas Creek reached flood stage.

Winds peaked at between 56 and 62 mph at Joint Base McGuire Air Force Base and at Coyle Field in Woodland Township, according to the National Weather Service.

Burlington County Central Communications, which handles police, fire and emergency dispatch for all 40 municipalities in the county, field close to 2,000 emergency and non-emergency calls during Tuesday’s storm, plus an additional 6,886 calls from police and other sources.