MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 7,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric service has been restored
to more than 111,000 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L)
customers who lost power last evening following damaging
thunderstorms that swept through the northern and central parts of
the state. Crews are working around the clock to assess damage and
restore service to approximately 21,000 customers who remain
without power as of 12:30 p.m. today,
mostly in the hardest-hit areas of Sussex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Hunterdon and Warren counties.
JCP&L crews are addressing more than 460 safety hazards and
105 road closures while evaluating damage and isolating equipment
to enable repairs. Nearly 200 additional workers from JCP&L's
sister utilities will be arriving today to assist the more than 270
JCP&L employees and contractors restoring power after the
storm.
"Powerful winds reaching speeds of more than 65 mph, along with
lightning and more than 3 inches of rain in some places, brought
down trees and debris that damaged JCP&L's utility poles and
equipment and caused numerous power outages. We will work around
the clock and deploy additional resources as necessary until all
customers have had service restored," said Jim Fakult, president of JCP&L. "At the same
time, we have our eye on Tropical Storm Elsa and are preparing for
any potential impacts later in the week. In particular, we're
taking proactive steps to install barriers and other preventive
equipment at substations susceptible to flooding."
Due to the extent of damage from yesterday's storm, restoration
activities are expected continue through the week. The following
estimated restoration times have been established for JCP&L
customers that were affected by these storms:
- Central New
Jersey:
-
- Monmouth County: 99.3%
of customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow (Thursday, July
8)
- Ocean County: 98.7% of
customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Burlington County:
99.8% of customers restored by 11:30
p.m. today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m. tomorrow
- Middlesex County: 99.8%
of customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Northern New
Jersey:
-
- Hunterdon County: 79.9%
of customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today; 99.2% by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Morris County: 97.7% of
customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today; 99.7% by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Passaic County: 93.7%
of customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today; 99.5% by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Somerset County: 90.5%
of customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Sussex County: 93.8% of
customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today; 99.3% by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Union County: 90.7% of
customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today, with the remaining by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
- Warren County: 97.1% of
customers restored by 11:30 p.m.
today; 99.4% by 11:30 p.m.
tomorrow
The remaining less than one percent of customers will have
service restored by 11:30 p.m.
Friday, July 9.
Customer-specific restoration estimates will be set as damage is
assessed and repair schedules established. For updates, please
login to your utility account, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
or visit www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
After local power lines are repaired and put back in service,
damage to individual customer service wires may become apparent.
Customers are reminded that if their neighbor's power is on and
theirs is not, the problem may be isolated to their individual
service, and service to the neighbor could be fed from a different
circuit. Customers are encouraged to report such problems at any
time during the restoration process.
During severe weather, customers who are without power are
encouraged to call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report their
outage or click the "Report Outage" link on
www.firstenergycorp.com. Customers should immediately report downed
wires by calling 9-1-1. Customers should never go near a downed
wire even if they think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra
caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled in
trees or other debris.
Customers are reminded to never use a portable generator inside
the house or a closed garage in the event of a power outage. Proper
generators should be selected and installed by a qualified
electrician. When operating a generator, the power coming into the
home should always be disconnected. Otherwise, power from the
generator could be sent back onto the utility lines, creating a
hazardous situation for utility workers.
For updated information on the company's current outages,
JCP&L's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe,
visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.
JCP&L customers also can subscribe to email and text message
alert notifications to receive weather alerts in advance of major
storms, and updates on scheduled or extended power outages. More
information about these communications tools is available online at
www.firstenergycorp.com/connect.
JCP&L is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE).
JCP&L serves 1.1 million New
Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union
and Warren. Follow JCP&L on
Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or
online at www.jcp-l.com.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or
online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.