Community Corner

UPDATE: Narberth, Bala Cynwyd Work to Recover from Hurricane Irene

More than 100 trees are down and thousands are without power, but things have improved.

(Updated 4:40 p.m.)

Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael J. McGrath reports 3,095 township PECO customers were still without power at 4:16 p.m. Monday.

Because of fallen trees, Centennial Road in Penn Valley is expected to be closed through at least Tuesday morning rush hour.

Find out what's happening in Narberth-Bala Cynwydwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

River Road has been reopened.

(Published 1:30 p.m.)

Find out what's happening in Narberth-Bala Cynwydwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch's post-Hurricane Irene driving tour of Narberth, Bala Cynwyd, Belmont Hills and Penn Valley at midday Monday showed some obvious signs of destruction, as well as reasons for residents and businesses to feel grateful things weren't worse.

Throughout Lower Merion and Narberth, local officials said, more than 100 trees still blocked roads and 5,000 homes lacked power, as did a few traffic lights, including the City Avenue signal from the eastbound Schuylkill Expressway off-ramp, plus St. Asaph's Road signals at Monument Road and Decker Boulevard.

A 100-year-old white oak that used to be 100 to 120 feet tall collapsed across more than 20 graves, including a 12-ton monument, Saturday night at , said cemetery president Pete Hoskins. Crews worked Monday morning to cut apart and lift the tree.

Grounds supervisor Bill Doran said three or four other smaller trees fell elsewhere in the cemetery, as well as countless large branches. Though grave stones will have to be reset, repaired or replaced, both men said they had feared the damage could have been worse, based on earlier projections of the storm's strength and path. The cemetery has about 2,500 trees.

"You just hope all the tree maintenance you do holds up to the storm," Hoskins said.

Meanwhile, a crew from the Greenscape landscaping company of northeast Philadelphia worked on a 70-foot tree that toppled on 423 Bryn Mawr Ave. The street was closed south of Levering Mill Road Monday. Though the tree damaged the home's roof, workers said if the tree were even five taller, the effect would have been far more significant.

Narberth's main drag was in business Monday. Haverford Avenue stores had power and customers, and street flooding was a memory. However, service on the Paoli-Thorndale SEPTA Regional Rail line remained suspended at midday, as did Cynwyd Line service in Bala Cynwyd.

At the Lower Merion public works complex in Penn Valley, haulers kept coming through with loads of storm-related refuse Monday. The public works department announced via email that it would waive garbage can limits for collection through Friday, Sept. 9. Residents also can bring storm-related debris to the public works complex for free through that date.

Anyone with stories, pictures or videos of the hurricane's effect on their homes, businesses or neighborhood is asked to send them to eric.campbell@patch.com to be posted on the site.


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