Sandy: It's the Worst I've Ever Seen, Police Chief Says

Use common sense.

That was repeated multiple times by Mayor Tim Dougherty, Capt. Steven Sarinelli and Police Chief Peter Demnitz as calls continued to come into Town Hall on what is now Tropical Storm Sandy.

As of 9:30 p.m., Dougherty said about 4,000 homes were without power in Morristown, with the brunt of the storm affecting us until about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's the worst I've ever seen and I've been here almost 30 years," Demnitz said. "But, we're handling it well."

A number of roads have been closed in town, and a number of trees have fallen, including a large tree on Wetmore Avenue that dropped onto the mayor's neighbor's garage.

The worst, so far, has been the wind, with gusts reaching beyond 60 miles per hour.

"Trees are falling, some on homes, some on wires," Dougherty said. "We anticipated that, but we can't anticipate how they will fall."

No injuries, however, have yet been reported, he said.

Both the mayor and chief praised everyone who has been on-call in town since the storm's beginning, from the town Office of Emergency Management to police, fire, rescue and more. "The emergency response has been outstanding," Dougherty said.

But, just because emergency crews are outside doesn't mean residents should be, he said.

"The county courthouse rooftop blew off," Dougherty said. "It's dangerous."

"I do have some concern for people out there for no good reason," Demnitz said. "We've seen some people walking out there. It just impedes emergency services and puts everyone in danger."

Even after the storm is expected to pass, Dougherty said winds are expected to remain at around 25 to 30 miles per hour tomorrow. "There will be risk of trees falling over," he said. "The [state Department of Transportation] recommends you don't be on the road tomorrow, either."

People need to be prepared for several days without power, as the town and state begin to climb out of the mess Sandy is bringing to us.

"Really, really stay in your homes," Dougherty said. "There is no reason to be out in this tonight or tomorrow."

As always, in case of any true emergency, call 9-1-1, he added.