Report: Auto Insurance Rate Hikes on Tap

Insurance companies blame 2011's Tropical Storm Irene, Halloween nor'easter — not Sandy — for highest in nation auto rate increase.

New Jersey motorists, who currently pay among the highest rates for auto insurance now, are going to have to dig a bit deeper into their wallets to pay for increases in auto insurance, according to published report Sunday. Insurers and state regulators are saying Hurricane Sandy, which devastated portions of the state including the Jersey Shore, is not the reason for state approving rate increases for 26 insurers thus far in 2013, according to a NorthJersey.com report. Instead, officials blame the rate increases on losses related to Tropical Storm Irene and the Halloween nor’easter from two years ago, medical costs that continue to rise, reinsurance expenses and dim forecasts of investment income, the report said. Allstate, New Jersey …

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Peggy Davison

1:17 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013

Thanks for the link Chris! After reading the article, I too am confused as to why our rates are so high, and rising. It simply does not make any sense!   more ›

Everything You Need to Know About Hurricanes [Video]

What causes them, how they're measured, the worst in recent memory, how to prepare, and more.

Here is a primer on hurricanes, including interesting hurricane facts, an explanation of the Saffir-Simpson scale, descriptions of some of the most devastating hurricanes in recent history, and a guide to how you and your family should prepare in case of a hurricane. What IS a hurricane? A hurricane is a storm with sustained wind speed of at least 74 miles per hour. A tropical storm has wind speeds of 39 to 73 mph. A tropical depression is a storm with a wind speed of 38 mph. The anatomy of a hurricane To have a hurricane, you have to have warm water; this is why hurricanes only happen in the summer. Hurricanes are started by tropical depressions over water that’s at least 80 degrees. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure …

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Hurricane Sandy Has Bridgewater Bracing

Officials expect flooding and power outages to last for days

Bridgewater Township Administrator James Naples expects Hurricane Sandy will bring extensive flooding when it arrives in a few days, possibility early Monday. So public works crews have been clearing storm drains and streets of debris to better allow water to get underground. That effort is one way the township is preparing for Sandy, Naples said.  There have been discussion with county officials and local meetings to set reaction plans in place, he said. But mostly, he said, “it’s just waiting.” Forecasters say Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall late Monday and affect the region for several days with high winds and heavy rain. The storm could be 800 miles wide when the center strikes New Jersey before driving in to central …

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Hurricane Sandy May Test Utilities' Preparations

JCP&L instituted new communications, repair plans after last year's major storms—will it be enough?

Two months after New Jersey residents recovered from flooding and damage caused by 2011's Hurricane Irene, the area was hit with a severe winter storm. The storm's snowfall piled more than a foot deep in many areas, and the heavy, wet precipitation snapped tree limbs and utility poles, causing massive power outages that in some cases took a week to repair. And on the anniversary of that storm, New Jersey is facing a potentially more dangerous storm: Hurricane Sandy, which has already claimed lives in the Carribean and is currently forecast to reach the area Monday morning—just in time to collide with a possible winter storm. Keeping a close eye on the storms are meteorologists with JCP&L, which says employees have already been put on alert…

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Did JCP&L Spend More Time Saving Face Than Serving Customers?

Recently-released state Board of Public Utilities report charges FirstEnergy affiliate with being more concerned with image during Irene.

JCP&L, since Hurricane Irene in August 2011, has said it has committed a lot of money and resources toward improving not only how the utility communicates with its customers, but also how it runs its business. The state Board of Public Utilities, however, handed down a verdict in a recent report that states the FirstEnergy affiliate first spent more energy trying to save face, according to a NJBIZ.com article. The article notes the BPU report cites JCP&L's initial two Irene press releases from Aug. 28 and Aug. 25, 2011, the latter three days before the storm actually hit New Jersey. JCP&L "gave no indication that restoration could take several days or longer. Advice to customers appeared to have secondary importance," according to the BPU …

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This Week on Patch

More Irene Memories, School Prep This Week

Looking for a story this week? Check out this handy guide.

Every Monday, we will bring you a little look ahead at a few of the stories that are on tap for Bridgewater Patch over the next seven days.  We’ll provide the day a story is scheduled to post on the site so you can be sure to check back on that date to read about all the news you want to know. Don’t see the story you’re looking for? Ask about it in the comments below! Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

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During Irene, Early Preparation Helped Fire Companies, EMS

Fire companies and rescue squads hit the ground running during Irene.

It is a year since Hurricane Irene battered the area, flooding roads, knocking down trees and cutting power to thousands—and fortunately most of the clean-ups are complete in Bridgewater. Bill Rose, with the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Department, said there are no continuing clean-ups in Martinsville after firefighters spent days mitigating last year. “We were pumping out cellars, fixing exposed roads,” he said. “There are no roads closed at this point, and we continue to maintain the equipment necessary for that [kind of clean-up].” Rose said the department got more pumps last year, which helped the firefighters when they had to pump out flooded basements. “It proved a great benefit to us,” he said. “We continue to be equipped to handle …

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In Irene Preparation, Technology Was Key, Officials Say

Chris Poulsen said communication and technology was important during Hurricane Irene.

For the local health departments dealing with power outages, lack of water and more during Hurricane Irene one year ago, getting through it was all about communication and technology. This weekend marks one year since the devastating storm that caused mass flooding, downed trees and widespread power outages throughout Bridgewater and the whole state. Through technology, according to Chris Poulsen, director of health and human services for the township, the local health departments kept in contact with each other throughout the storm, and provided crucial information back and forth through the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. “This established a strong network for the identification of resources, dissemination of …

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Photos: Looking Back on Irene

We look back at the photos that defined the weekend.

One year ago this weekend, Bridgewater, and all of New Jersey, was hit by Hurricane Irene, which pounded the East Coast, and left in its wake flooding, downed trees, power outages and much more. Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 marks the exact year anniversary of this storm event that left thousands in Bridgewater without power, while many spent weeks pumping out their basements and cleaning debris from their yards. We've compiled some pictures taken just after the storm left the area to commemorate the horrific storm. Bridgewater, if you have any pictures of your own, please share them here as well, and tell us what the cleanup was like for you.

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