By Lev D. Zilbermints & Kristopher Seals
NEWARK – Last week, a word pronounced as “EE-SIGH-EE-AS” meant nothing; now, it will never be forgotten.
Ivy Hill Park was one of several spots that suffered a blow from Tropical Storm Isaias which pummeled New Jersey August 4. Trees were snapped like toothpicks. Huge branches lay on the ground, blocking roads. One tree was snapped in half, with part lying on the ground and the other part intact.
The park entrance at Mt. Vernon Place and Manor Drive was blocked by huge branches that lay on the ground. The lawns were full of broken branches, big and small. A big snapped branch lay on the tennis court fence.
Eastern Parkway was among the hardest spots hit, especially from Ivy Street to its southern end. Several trees toppled over, which residents said was due to bad maintenance by the City of Newark as it pertains to pruning and weak roots. Walking through the devastation was dangerous, as power lines were tossed all over, in close proximity to puddles from the torrential rain.
Other areas also got hammered. South Orange Avenue was littered with debris, with a huge tree toppled over at West Side High School. In East Orange, one tree blocked access to Sanford Street between Tremont and Rhode Island avenues, while another tree leaned precariously over Harrison Street by Monte Irvin Park.
According to data from the National Weather Service and Rutgers New Jersey Weather Network, the gusts of wind ranged from 68 miles per hour at Newark Liberty International Airport to 75 mph in Berkeley Township. A record 109 mph winds were measured near Ship Bottom over water. Isaias even spun off at least one known tornado in Cape May, and many more along its eastern seaboard trek
Electricity was available in Ivy Hill Park Apartments. The complex survived the Blackout of 2003 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. However, other parts of New Jersey were not as fortunate, as over 1.4 million were left without power.
After the storm, life went on at Ivy Hill Park. Sports enthusiasts used the high-jump bar, step-up bar, parallel bars, and wobble board to do gym exercises. Locals sat on benches, relaxing, while others walked around, watching teens play soccer and kids use the children’s playground. The only damage was the downed trees and branches. Everything else was apparently safe.
