New Providence's special storm-related brush pickup is finished, the borough announced Monday, July 13, marking the end of a 10-day cleanup operation that followed the destructive July 3 storm.

Residents with remaining brush or garden debris must now place it in cans by 2 a.m. on Mondays for regular weekly collection. Loose piles left curbside will no longer be collected under the special program. Details on regular collection zones are available on page 17 of the borough calendar at newprov.us.

The July 3 storm struck during the borough's America250 celebration on South Street at approximately 7:40 p.m., sending residents scrambling into cars, banks, and storefronts as wind gusts approached 70 mph. The storm downed trees across town, knocked out power to hundreds of homes, and forced 17 road closures at its peak.

Streets blocked included Old Oak Drive, Central Avenue, Salem Road, Commonwealth Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Pearl Street, among others, according to borough alerts. Public Works and utility crews worked to remove downed trees, clear debris from power lines, and restore access.

Mayor Al Morgan called the storm's aftermath "an extraordinary amount of tree debris throughout our community" and credited DPW crews, the Fire Department, Police Department, and Office of Emergency Management for working to clear roadways and respond to emergencies.

The borough's Department of Public Works launched the zone-by-zone brush collection program on Tuesday, July 7. By that date, 480 JCP&L customers still lacked power, according to a borough update. The borough opened a charging station in Room G-2 at the Municipal Center on Elkwood Avenue and cooling locations including the DeCorso Community Center for affected residents.

EMS Chief Alex Pereira coordinated preparation among EMS, fire, and police through the Office of Emergency Management ahead of the July 3 holiday, staffing both ambulances and calling in additional EMTs.

"These are those summer storms — when they come in hard, they come in fast," EMT Lt. Maggie Dilley said. "Police and EMS have to get pulled from other responsibilities."