Two months after Tropical Storm Irene flooded him out, Dan Atkins is facing another headache caused by yet another storm.
The power in Atkins' Westwood, N.J., home went out Saturday after a freak October snowstorm knocked down trees and power lines. A 5,500-watt generator outside the kitchen has allowed him to keep some lights on and even power the television, and the gas fireplace has kept his family warm since Saturday's storm.
But, Atkins said Monday, "this has literally been the year from hell."
Twenty miles south of Westwood, the picture was much the same: there was a mangled mess of utility poles, branches and downed wires in the Morris County community of Boonton, one of several school districts that canceled classes for a second day Tuesday.
"It just keeps coming in and coming in," said Kevin Sweetland of Verizon. "Actually, it's probably worse than Irene."
The impression was confirmed Monday by Gov. Chris Christie, who said the damage to utilities in New Jersey after the weekend's storm was worse than the destruction caused by Irene in August.
Though cautioned against trick-or-treating while power lines were still on the ground this Halloween Day, some parents took their young children for quick tours around the neighborhood.
"We didn't really do much, a few houses," said Tracy Larson. "The trees being down were kind of scary, and the wires were scary too. We've been staying in the house."
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