Red Cross steps in to help storm victims in Gloucester County, NJ

EAST GREENWICH TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- Trees were toppled across driveways and cars, and some homes were left badly damaged in South Jersey. Now the Red Cross is stepping in to help.

Some 70,000 customers remain without power in Gloucester County, and that generates a lot of need.

From the moment a Red Cross comfort station opened at the fire station in East Greenwich Township Thursday morning, folks still without power started pouring in.

They charged their iPhones and other electronic equipment, got food and water and tried to stay cool.

All have been without power since brutal, straight-line storms moved through the area Tuesday afternoon.

"We lost all power - computers, all the mobile devices, everything," said Gary Bennett of Mickleton, N.J. "That's why we come here, to charge the phone. That's our only means of communication to the outside world."

"Some of the stores are closed down because of the power, and then they don't have ice at the stores, nothing for us... like, there's nothing," said Zakiyya Bundy of Woodbury, N.J.

Residents in East Greewich and surrounding towns are being told it may be sometime Saturday until their power is restored.

In the meantime, stores are without power, and in those that do have electricity, the shelves are bare.

"We just went to the Acme," said Louis Tithe of East Greenwich, "and McDonald's to get something to eat. The Acme, the shelves were bare, and the McDonald's was closed. So this is great that we have a little something to eat here."

"I just got back from vacation and I went food shopping," said Sharon Fuller of Mickleton. "And all these groceries I just bought are sitting in my refrigerator going bad. And my husband called Liberty Mutual and they said it's not covered."

The center will reopen at 10:30 a.m. Friday until 8:00 p.m.