Blizzard Doesn’t Stop Dream Wedding in Delaware

January 25, 2016, 1:47 pm

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With her “blizzard-proof” hair intact, a bride and her groom weren’t going to let the Blizzard of 2016 keep them from getting married in Delaware.

Juan Rodriguez and Allison Sharkey began planning their dream wedding years ago, but little did they know the curveball Mother Nature was going to throw them on the big day.

Blizzard 2016: Snow-Covered Streets

The couple was set to get married at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday. One hundred seventy guests were scheduled to attend and celebrate the couple’s wedding day.

However, Mother Nature had different plans and brought Winter Storm Jonas to Delaware late Friday and all day Saturday.

Local Lawmaker Angered by ‘Snow Response Failure’

“We were getting married anyway,” the couple told NBC10.

Approximately 90 people braved the elements and made their way to Delaware for the ceremony and reception.

Juan Rodriguez told NBC10 several friends rented cars in New York and made their way down.

“I don’t know how they did it,” an amazed Rodriguez said.

A judge, who is a friend of the couple, came down from Pennsylvania and married them.

After the wedding ceremony, the couple and their guests enjoyed an “amazing” reception party.

“They were ready to party,” Allison said. “The dance floor was never empty.”

Allison said some vendors cancelled on them, including a band at 9 p.m. Friday, but she had high praise for the disc jockey and their photography company.

The couple also praised the Hotel du Pont and its staff. Juan said the hotel put up all the staff for the weekend so they could be there for the wedding.

“They were incredibly supportive and accommodating,” Juan said.

The couple met in 2010 and both grew up and attended college in the Philadelphia area.

For most couples, their wedding day is something they will never forget, but it takes on extra special meaning for the newlyweds.

Photo Credit: M2 Photography

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Storm Victim Wades Through Water, Dodges TV, to Save Dog

January 25, 2016, 11:55 am

≫ Next: Man Defecates Inside Public Library: Police

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A man with his pants rolled up and a dog under his arm waded through waist-deep floodwater as an old television floated by.

The moment captured Saturday in Ocean City is a lasting image of the Blizzard of 2016 that battered the region with snow and wind, causing major flooding along the Jersey Shore.

Gunnar North, 29, told NBC10 he decided to make a daring dash after he woke up to water near his front door and no power in his home.

"I wake up around 10 o'clock, I look out the door and there's literally 3 1/2 feet of water outside my door," said North.

North, who works for his family company, lives in a Gunnar Builders-constructed apartment along 7th Street near the bay in Ocean City, New Jersey. He had never before faced such significant flooding.

"I didn't know what to do," said North, who lived most of his life on the mainland. "I guess you could say I wasn't really prepared.

"I was afraid the water was going to go up to my door — my door's 4 feet in the air. I didn't think I had anything to worry about, but I was definitely wrong."

After two hours or so, North saw an opening as the tide receded, so he stuffed a backpack with some clothes, grabbed his dog, Red, and made a dash for it.

"I was just worried about keeping my dog safe, honestly. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him," said North. "It was waist deep out front of my house, I tightened up my pants… and I made the journey."

"It was freezing... there were little icebergs everywhere — just chunks of ice — it was hard, I was getting cut up," he recalled.

Red, 2-year-old pit-boxer mix, weighs about 80 pounds.

"It really wasn't that easy to carry him through," said North.

Along the way, Instagram user FSBarnard captured an image of North and Red wading through ice-filled water as a television floated by.

"That TV was just floating behind me, I wasn't carrying my TV," said North. "I had my dog and that was enough."

North also had to dodge other items in the water.

"I saw wood floating down the street," he said. "It was like a big freezer or something like that — it was huge — it was just floating down the street."

After a six-to-seven-block journey to higher ground — it would have been shorter but North said he initially went to wrong way — he and Red were picked up by a friend with a big truck.

Later, on Facebook, he thanked the guys who rescued him for saving "me and Red's life."

Once the power came back on late Saturday and North returned to survey the damage, he found some — the carpets need replacing — but mostly, his apartment was unscathed.

"It's shocking because the water has never gotten that high," he said.

North made at least made one preparation that helped keep the damage to a minimum.

"Thank God I parked my car off of the island — I knew that much, to do that," North said.

Next time a major storm comes, expect North and Red to get out of dodge.

"I'm going to get off the island before the storm starts," he said.

Photo Credit: Instagram - FSBarnard
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Man Defecates Inside Public Library: Police

January 25, 2016, 3:33 pm

≫ Next: Barnegat Police Help Elderly Woman During Blizzard

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Police are searching for a man accused of leaving an unwanted gift in the stairwell of a public library in Bryn Mawr.

Police say the man entered the stairwell in the Ludington Library on S. Bryn Mawr Avenue back on December 17 and defecated twice.

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Lower Merion Police posted surveillance video of the suspect on their Facebook page but later took it down. They then announced that they identified the man but did not reveal whether an arrest was made.

If you have any information on the incident, please call Detective Lane at 610-645-6225, or submit a tip to police@lowermerion.org.

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Photo Credit: Lower Merion Township Police Facebook Page

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Barnegat Police Help Elderly Woman During Blizzard

January 25, 2016, 4:24 pm

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The Barnegat Police Department took time out of their busy schedules during the aftermath of the blizzard to help a resident in need on Sunday.

On Sunday night, an elderly resident who lives alone contacted the Barnegat Police saying she was snowed in and was unable to access her driveway. Several officers responded with shovels in hand, ready to help.

Blizzard Doesn’t Stop Dream Wedding in Delaware

After thirty minutes of teamwork, the woman's driveway was cleared and she had safe access to the street.

The Barnegat Police Department thanked Officers Lauren Keilitz, Nicholas Venuto, Anthony Carlo, and Stephen Russoniello, along with Sergeants Carroll and Eslinger for helping the woman out.

Photo Credit: Barnegat Police Department

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Snow Day Means Sledding for Kids in Washington Township

January 25, 2016, 4:55 pm

≫ Next: Cars Stuck in Lehigh Valley, Neigbors Come to Rescue

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It was a perfect snow day for sledding. NBC10’s Cydney Long is in Washington Township where kids are hitting the hills and hoping for one more day off of school.

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Cars Stuck in Lehigh Valley, Neigbors Come to Rescue

January 25, 2016, 4:45 pm

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The Lehigh Valley got some of the highest snow totals. NBC10’s Mitch Blacher is in Newsforce10 with more on one of the messiest intersections in Allentown, where cars were getting stuck and good Samaritans came to the rescue.

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StormForce10 Checking Roadways and Streets Near You

January 25, 2016, 5:11 pm

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NBC10's Harry Hairston has been riding around in Stormforce10 all day, checking out the roadways. He's in South West Chester where plows are still working on removing piles of snow.

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Blizzard Cleanup in Queen Village

January 25, 2016, 5:03 pm

≫ Next: Wilmington Residents Wait for Streets to be Cleared

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When this much snow falls, getting back to your normal routine doesn’t happen overnight. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors is in Queen Village with an update on how that section of the city is handling all that snow.

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Wilmington Residents Wait for Streets to be Cleared

January 25, 2016, 4:39 pm

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NBC10’s Tim Furlong is in the Trolley Square section of Wilmington where people are waiting for their streets to be cleared.

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Phony Contractor in Radnor

January 25, 2016, 9:36 pm

≫ Next: Overturned Truck Leaks Propane on Route 1 Bypass

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Police are searching for a phony contractor who is scamming residents in Radnor Township.

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Overturned Truck Leaks Propane on Route 1 Bypass

January 25, 2016, 9:52 pm

≫ Next: 'The Water Was Crazy': Mom Describes Family's Jersey Shore Rescue

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The Route 1 Bypass is closed both ways in Chester County after a propane truck overturned and began leaking.

The accident occurred Monday afternoon in Kennett Township on the Route 1 Bypass northbound at North Mill Road.

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Officials say the tank on the truck has a capacity of 2400 gallons and is 80% full of propane. Fire crews responded to the scene. Northbound lanes on the Bypass were closed but later reopened. No injuries have been reported.

Photo Credit: SkyForce10

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'The Water Was Crazy': Mom Describes Family's Jersey Shore Rescue

January 25, 2016, 1:58 pm

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Crystal Hutchinson knew the Jersey Shore might flood during the blizzard so when she woke at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, she checked for rising water.

Nothing.

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Forty-five minutes later her husband, James, woke her again. The fast moving water was almost on their porch in North Wildwood and the electricity was off.

“The water was crazy, crazy right outside of the door,” she said.

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Hutchinson, her husband, her five children as well as her neighbor’s teenage daughter and the girl’s boyfriend were stranded and the North Wildwood Police Department was overwhelmed with emergency calls.

“The water was still coming up and we didn’t know how we were going to get out,” she said.

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An hour and a half later, they were able to flag down a 5-ton military truck that the police use for high waters. They passed the younger children over then waded in. Later Hutchinson tweeted a photo of her 9-year-old daughter, Jolie Wilson, being carried to the truck. The photo was taken by her neighbor, Ashgan Abouelgheet.

“We were petrified,” Hutchinson said. “We were so scared. The kids were all having anxiety attacks.”

Three years ago, the family lost everything while living in neighboring Wildwood during superstorm Sandy. They were afraid they would again.

The Hutchinsons and their neighbors were among up to 200 people evacuated by the police department throughout the day, Chief Matthew Gallagher said. Cities at the southern end of the Jersey Shore were flooded more severely than during Sandy while other were pummeled as dramatically or worse.

Police Officer Joseph Kopetsky, who carried Jolie to the truck, said that the Hutchinsons’ call for help was among 45 pending at one point. The water was a few inches from the top his waders — about 4 to 4 1/2 feet, he estimated. He and his fellow officer, Justin Robinson, tired to keep the children calm.

“We just tried out best to make them comfortable while we guided them into the truck,” Kopetsky said. “It’s intimidating.”

The Hutchinsons eventually found their way to Crystal Hutchinson’s mother’s house in nearby North Cape May.

In the end, the water stopped rising soon after they left and they had no damage. But others in town lost belongings, she said.

“We were the lucky ones,” she said. “There were a lot of people who were much less fortunate.”

Photo Credit: Ashgan Abouelgheet

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WATCH: Drone Video of Blizzard Aftermath in Philly

January 25, 2016, 9:41 pm

≫ Next: Woman Jumps Out of Moving Car On I-76: Officials

≪ Previous: 'The Water Was Crazy': Mom Describes Family's Jersey Shore Rescue

A Weather Channel drone video captured a bird's eye view of the blizzard aftermath in Strawberry Mansion. NBC10's Denise Nakano has the latest on the post-storm cleanup in Philly and speaks to residents who claimed they still haven't seen any snow plows in their street.

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Woman Jumps Out of Moving Car On I-76: Officials

January 25, 2016, 8:08 pm

≫ Next: Icy Water Main Break in Norristown

≪ Previous: WATCH: Drone Video of Blizzard Aftermath in Philly

A woman is in the hospital after she jumped out of a moving vehicle on I-76, according to the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Officials say the 26-year-old woman was inside a vehicle traveling on I-76 eastbound in Philadelphia when she jumped out and landed on the highway near the Grays Ferry Exit late Monday afternoon.

'Historic Storm' Drops 30+ Inches, Dig Out Continues

I-76 was closed in both directions as crews tended to the injured woman. She was then taken to Presbyterian Hospital and the lanes were reopened.

Officials say the woman suffered some cuts and bruises but is otherwise doing okay. They have not yet revealed why the woman jumped.

250 Gallons of Fuel Spill Into Schuylkill

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Icy Water Main Break in Norristown

January 25, 2016, 9:45 pm

≫ Next: 250 Gallons of Fuel Spill Into Schuylkill

≪ Previous: Woman Jumps Out of Moving Car On I-76: Officials

Leftover snow and overnight freezing are causing bad road conditions throughout the area as the region continues to dig out of the weekend's historic blizzard. NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal is at an icy water main break in Norristown with the latest details.

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250 Gallons of Fuel Spill Into Schuylkill

January 25, 2016, 3:17 pm

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The Coast Guard and several other agencies are investigating after 250 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia Monday.

Officials say a sensor malfunction on an emergency generator at a Philadelphia CenturyLink facility caused an overflow of approximately 4,200 gallons of diesel fuel. An estimated 250 gallons of the fuel then spilled into the Schuylkill River near the 2400 block of Market Street.

The Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, Philadelphia Fire Department, CSX, Philadelphia Water Department and the Miller Environmental Group Inc., an oil spill response organization, are all helping with the cleanup process.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

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Police Sergeant Helps Save Life of 3-Year-Old Girl

January 25, 2016, 9:06 pm

≫ Next: Christie: 'You Want Me to Go Down There With a Mop?'

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Rachel Kozak looked on Monday night as her 3-year-old daughter thanked the man who saved her life.

“Thank you Sergeant Pinto,” Grace said.

WATCH: Viewer Videos of Blizzard of 2016

Kozak knows her daughter may not have been able to ever utter those words if not for Radnor Township Police Sergeant Joseph Pinto’s actions back on January 8. Kozak says her daughter had a severe case of croup that night which caused her to choke.

“I got in the car and sped down Montgomery Avenue, trying to remember where Bryn Mawr hospital was,” Kozak said.

'Historic Storm' Drops 30+ Inches, Dig Out Continues

Kozak’s car sped past Sergeant Pinto’s vehicle and through a red light on County Line and Conestoga roads in Radnor Township. She then stopped to ask for help.

“When the car stopped suddenly the lady got out of the car saying her daughter was in distress and she believed she was choking,” Pinto said. “She was breathing but she was non-communicative. She was having difficulty. She was making gasping sounds.”

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Pinto evaluated the 3-year-old girl and requested a medic to respond. When the girl’s breathing became more labored however, he quickly took action.

“He stopped me and he took over and I was so happy because I thought, ‘all we have to do now is get to the hospital,’” Kozak said.

Sergeant Pinto placed Kozak and Grace into his patrol car and quickly got them to Bryn Mawr Hospital. He turned the girl over to doctors who gave her immediate medical attention. Grace was doing just fine Monday night when Pinto received the Commendation for Life Saving Award by the Radnor Board of Commissioners.

Pinto told NBC10 Grace reminded him of his own daughters.

“I have three daughters of my own,” Pinto said. “Every time I looked at her she looked like a different one of my own children. It puts things in perspective and a little added pressure to get things done right and you try to do the best job you can.”

Photo Credit: NBC10

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Christie: 'You Want Me to Go Down There With a Mop?'

January 25, 2016, 10:31 pm

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New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie addressed criticism over his response to this weekend's record flooding at the Jersey Shore.

Christie returned to the campaign trail in New Hampshire Monday after spending time in New Jersey during the weekend’s blizzard, which flooded streets and homes in several Shore communities and left thousands without power.

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During a town hall meeting in New Hampshire Monday, Christie took a question from a woman who claimed she once attended school in Pennington, New Jersey. The woman asked on behalf of her family and friends at the Shore, “Why are you here in New Hampshire campaigning instead of there, helping to survey the damages done by the coastal flooding from the storm?”

“Because it’s already done,” Christie replied. “It’s already done. Tell me why you think it isn’t.”

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The woman told Christie her friends and family had sent her videos and pictures of flooding “all over the state.”

“All over the state?” Christie replied. “Really? There’s been one county that’s flooded in the state. That was Cape May County. So I don’t know where from all over the state, since we have 21 counties, where that’s happened. Second, I don’t know what you expect me to do. You want me to go down there with a mop?”

Jersey Shore Deals With Record Flooding

Christie told the woman that all roads in New Jersey were cleared, NJ Transit returned to normal operations and that workers helped any families who had flooding in their homes.

“No one needed to be evacuated,” Christie said. “People left voluntarily and went to see family and friends like we asked them to if they lost their power.”

Christie claimed around 94,000 people at the Shore were without power at the height of the storm but the number was reduced to 500 Monday. Christie then went into detail on the efforts taken by the Department of Environmental Protection to assess beach erosion as well as officials with the Economic Development Authority who were helping any businesses that sustained damage. Finally, Christie said he was told by Department of Transportation officials that there was no residual flooding and all the floodwater had receded back.

“So for your friends and family who are concerned about why I’m not there, I’m just wondering what it is they think I’d be doing today,” Christie said. “I’m the governor. I’m not the chief engineer. I run a government of 60,000 people. They know exactly what they need to do. I was on the phone with them six different times today to check on what’s going on. If I was there, there’d be certain folks who would be complaining about what I was doing, or not doing, based upon whatever their political position is.”

Christie then said he was there during the height of the storm checking on conditions throughout the entire State.

“By the way, you know what the National Weather Service called the flooding?” Christie asked. “Moderate. Except you’re watching CNN and they’ve got nothing else to show. Because plowing snow is pretty boring. So when you see water flowing in with little icebergs on them, you say, ‘oh, look at that.’ It’s not good. But I heard people actually compare it to Sandy.”

Christie then addressed North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello, who told NBC10 that Saturday morning’s flooding was half a foot higher than what his town experienced during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

“I heard one crazy mayor down in South Jersey say this is worse flooding than Sandy,” Christie said. “Here’s the one thing you need to know about that mayor. His town didn’t get hit by Sandy. So of course it’s worse than Sandy for him! He’s down in North Wildwood, which is south of Atlantic City, for those of you who do not have a masters in New Jersey geography as I do. He’s south of Atlantic City, the storm comes in on Atlantic City and the Hurricane tail is whipping north. So if you’re south of where it came on Shore, you’re in good shape. So he makes the incredible statement, ‘It’s worse than Sandy!’ Well damn man you didn’t get any flooding in Sandy! So if you got a foot of flooding it would be worse than Sandy.”

Christie then asked the woman for the names and numbers of all her family and friends in New Jersey, claiming he would call all of them personally to answer any of their questions.

Christie also responded to critics of his handling of the storm during an appearance on MSNBC Monday, according to NBC News(DETAILS HERE).

Meanwhile US. Senator Cory Booker, New Jersey congressman Frank LoBiondo and West Wildwood Mayor Chris Fox plan on touring West Wildwood, Sea Isle City, and Atlantic City Tuesday to inspect any storm damage.

Mayor Rosenello responded to Christie's comments Monday night:

Unlike the governor who is in New Hampshire, I am in New Jersey and have been through this entire weather event. I have been with our paid and volunteer rescue personnel throughout the weekend and have witnessed their rescues and heroic efforts throughout the weekend. His comments are disrespectful to the property owners and residents who went through a traumatic weather event.

Photo Credit: Liam Seller

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