More than 4,000 New Providence households got their lights back Friday, July 10, exactly one week after hurricane-force winds tore through the borough's America 250 celebration and knocked out power to 85% of the community.

The borough announced that every JCP&L outage had been resolved and the last closed street had reopened, ending what officials described as one of New Providence's largest storm recovery efforts in recent years.

ALSO SEE | More trees down, more closures: Union County parks face new round of storm damage

Hundreds had gathered along South Street on Friday, July 3, as Mayor Al Morgan read a proclamation honoring the nation's 250th anniversary. Joe Murphy of The Bake House had just unveiled a 400-pound red, white and blue cake when the winds struck, toppling trees, utility poles and power lines and sending canopies airborne.

Police officers, firefighters and Office of Emergency Management (OEM) members left the celebration immediately to assess damage, respond to emergencies and close hazardous roads.

The New Providence Fire Department responded to more than 60 calls for service in the storm's aftermath, including six carbon monoxide incidents tied to improper generator use indoors. The New Providence Volunteer Rescue Squad answered another 20 calls, with many members responding while their own homes sat dark.

Mayor Morgan traveled throughout the borough with OEM members in the days that followed, providing video updates from damaged neighborhoods. The borough opened a Cooling & Charging Center at the DeCorso Community Center on Saturday, July 4, where approximately 130 residents came for relief. The center later moved to the Municipal Building on Academy Street.

Department of Public Works crews worked alongside police, firefighters, JCP&L line workers and contractors to remove fallen trees, clear debris and rebuild portions of the electrical system. Brush piles remained in several neighborhoods as of Friday, July 10, though no completion date for final cleanup has been announced.

The borough communicated with residents throughout the recovery via its RAVE emergency notification system, e-newsletters, social media and website updates covering road closures, restoration progress and safety alerts.

Officials warned residents to operate portable generators only outdoors and well away from windows, doors and garages. Carbon monoxide is odorless and can become deadly within minutes in enclosed spaces.

Residents not yet enrolled in the borough's RAVE emergency notification system can sign up at newprov.us/280/Smart-911 to receive future alerts.