Hurricane Sandy: Palmer-Forks Information Center

Forks Township Supervisors Chairman Erik Chuss just called me.

He said he's trying to get the word out that Forks could be without power "for an extensive period of time."

Chuss said that he hasn't heard from Met-Ed.

Meanwhile, he said that Forks officials have closed a stretch of Route 611 because of downed trees and power lines and Kesserville Road because some power polls could fall soon.

He said the main Forks fire station had part of its roof ripped off Monday night.

Township officials have yet to discuss trick-or-treating Wednesday with everything else going on, he said.

"But if we have no power, I don't see how we could have it Wednesday night," Chuss said.

Took a tour of Forks and Palmer townships this Tuesday morning.

We all survived the brunt of it, but power is out for the most part in both towns, with no relief in sight. I drove by the Met-Ed office in Forks and the utility trucks were still behind the gate.

For the most part, I didn't see any flooding, especially the usual spots in Forks Township. The corner of Zucksville and Bushkill were good and the Bushkill Creek was hanging in there.

Amazingly, the new Meco Road traffic light was the only one working in Forks.

Still, besides the wet leaves and tree limbs, some trees took a tumble in several spots and lots of them along the Bushkill Creek took a beating.

In Lower Nazareth Township, on Route 248, the Wawa was jumping. It had power and gas, which I got. The line for coffee, though, was around the building.

The same was true at Wegmans.

The lines were so long for coffee.

At the Giant in Forks, the store was operating on generator power with limited lights.

The Weis was open in Forks and I waited a half hour in line for coffee.

As we hunker down to ride out Hurricane Sandy, we want to make sure that Forks and Palmer townships stay connected.

For live updates during the storm, be sure to download our App for your smartphone or tablet and 'like' Palmer-Forks Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Send us messages through social media and email (dino.ciliberti@patch.com) and we’ll make sure the information is added here.

If you notice wires down or a tree across the road, please alert authorities and then let us know so we can spread the word quickly. You can add information or ask questions as part of this story in the comments section below.

Palmer-Forks Patch is all about connecting neighbors so we hope you’ll find this information hub helpful as we brave the storm together. Stay safe Palmer-Forks!

Here's what we know so far Monday:

Tom Corbett on Sunday evening advised Pennsylvanians on what to expect during Hurricane Sandy. He said, "This storm is historic." He requested a federal declaration of emergency from the President. 

He said weather reports indicate that Pennsylvania can expect the following over Monday and Tuesday of this week:

• Sustained, high winds close to 45 miles per hour. These winds could be sustained in some areas for 24 to 36 hours. 
• Heavy rainfall across the state, in some areas up to 10 inches total.
• Snow in higher elevation areas in the western part of the state.
• Possible flooding in low lying areas.

Cancellations

* Easton Area schools are closed Monday and Tuesday. There will be no non-public transportation.

* Forks trick-or-treating postponed to 6-8 p.m. Saturday, if power.

Shelters

The American Red Cross will open an evacuation shelter at noon on Monday, Oct. 29, at 2121 City Line Road, Bethlehem to help residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The Lehigh Valley County Animal Response Team (LVCART) will open an emergency animal shelter at noon Monday at 2120 Avenue A, Bethlehem and is within close proximity to the Red Cross shelter. 

 * Two shelters open in Easton.

Closings

Lehigh Valley Mall is closed Monday.

Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is closed Monday.

Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer.

Palmer Park Mall is closed Monday.

Palmer branch of Easton Public Library closed at noon Monday and will be closed Tuesday.

All state liquor stores closed at 3 p.m. Monday. Closed Tuesday too.

Links

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