Sandy Leaves 14,000 Tons Of Brush — Most Ever Recorded

If you think there was a lot of brush left over after Hurricane Sandy, you’re right. About 14,000 tons of it, officials said.

That’s 14 times the amount left from Hurricane Irene, the last big storm that in 2011 blew through the Shore Area and toppled trees and downed power lines in town, Township Administrator Jeffry Bertrand said.

The mountain of brush left after Sandy and the nor'easter that followed it amounts to the most ever recorded, Bertrand said.

As crews work to clear the last section of town of its downed flora, Bertrand said there will be little or no rest before Public Works employees turn to the final leaf collection before snow begins to fall.

“We’re going to finish up brush and have to go right into leaf collection,’’ he said.

Public Works crews as of Thursday entered into the green zone, so labeled on the brush pickup map available on the town’s website. The zone is bounded by the Shark River to the north, Route 138 to the south, Route 35 to the east and Allenwood and Gully roads to the west. It’s the last section of town scheduled for brush removal, a process that has been ongoing since last month.

Public Works crews, along with a North Jersey contractor, are being aided by about a dozen volunteer firefighters who have been hired specifically to aid the brush removal process.

to help clear the township from its brush mountain. The total bill is expected to be between $80-$100,000, Bertrand has said.

Bertrand has also said the township is still tallying the bill from Sandy, but that he expects that to come to about $1 million or more. The township has begun the process of applying for Federal Emergency Management money to help offset the cost of cleanup and recovery.