16 guardsmen and five Humvees helped Edison recover from a snowstorm. Watch video
EDISON -- The weekend snowstorm in Edison was so bad that the snow-covered streets looked, if you squinted or couldn't see because of the driving flakes, like a war zone.
The town called in 16 guardsmen and five military-style Humvees to help bring EMTs and first-responders to the homes of sick people. They were from the 102nd Calvalry of the New Jersey National Guard, based in East Orange, the township said.
"In some cases, we needed help just to get people from their houses to ambulances," Edison's emergency manager, Captain Andy Toth, said in an email. "In a few cases, streets were so bad that the Humvees helped transport people to JFK Medical Center for treatment."
The deployment was one of many in the state; according to the Military Times, 133 troops had responded in New Jersey as of Saturday. Military.com reported that troops were deployed in 12 states.
Township schools will be closed on Monday, like most in the area.
Edison's emergency response was coordinated by Toth and Maureen Ruane, the business administrator. The town does not currently have a Department of Public Works director.
"Our DPW employees worked tirelessly throughout Saturday to plow and clear Edison's major arteries first," Ruane said in an email. "But the snow came so fast and furiously that 20 minutes after our plows did their job, those streets were full again."
The town started pivoting toward clearing the side streets, secondary streets and culs-de-sac on Sunday. Edison got 27 inches of snow, among the highest in the state. And Edison, like the rest of the state, is not completely out of the woods, with an icy commute Monday ahead.
Leonard Sendelsky, a newly elected councilman, took a ride-along with Toth for a few hours Saturday. He saw a lot of snow, and even came across an ambulance that got stuck.
"It was a tough, tough day for everyone in our town," Sendelsky said.
Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
