Pequet said his crew was staying in a hotel nearly 28 miles away that ironically had no power.

Roselle says that Hurricane Sandy “ranks in the top five for us based on the numbers of employees deployed.” He says the firm previously dispatched crews in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Ike and Irene, and the 2009 Kentucky Ice storm.

“There is no exact time-frame yet as to how long we will be engaged,” says Roselle. “We predict right now we’ll be working at least a month and possibly through the end of the year.”

Firms also found plenty to do in making repairs to significant structural damage. Tecta America, a Mankato, Minn.-based roofing contractor, has dispatched service crews from its New York City area locations, says Kent T. Schwickert, regional managing president.

“We are dealing with municipalities and community critical assets for the public sector. The damage is far greater and covers a much larger area than anticipated,” he adds. 

Schwickert notes the firm’s involvement in assessing damage to high-rise buildings. “From New Jersey to Boston, we have seen high rise buildings with entire roofs gone and roof drains pulled from the rainwater leader piping. It’s pretty amazing.”

He says that “coupled with the lack of power, we see the situation worsening before we can get a handle on making it better. The lack of power is hampering access to fuel and mission critical basic needs.

Schwickert says that “our crews are focused and working seven days a week. I anticipate this work pace to last a long while, along with crews we import into the area for support.”

Barrier Island Breach

Richard Weeks, CEO of contractor Weeks Marine, based in Cranford, N.J., notes a “barrier island breach” in Mantoloking, along the Jersey shore to which the firm may be deployed.

The firm also has a hopper dredge standing by in Port Newark ready to deploy for a project in Cape May that may be directed elsewhere by the Army Corps of Engineers, says CEO Weeks. He also is ready to provide 1,000 feet of king pile wall system just removed from a Passaic River cleanup project in Newark.

“We can move if it makes sense and we get the word,” says Weeks. “As with 9/11, we are just trying to anticipate needs and present options.”