MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 3,500 line workers and support personnel are in New Jersey working around the clock restoring electric service to Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) customers who lost power following damaging thunderstorms Monday that produced wind gusts exceeding 70 mph and torrential rains.
About 220,000 JCP&L customers were restored within 36 hours after the storm began. As of 1:00 p.m., approximately 33,000 customers remain out of service, mostly in the hardest-hit areas of Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Burlington and Mercer counties. JCP&L expects the majority of these customers to be restored by Friday evening, with many customers restored much sooner.
To handle the influx of outside workers and help make the restoration process more efficient, JCP&L has set up two staging areas, one in Monmouth County and one in Ocean County. A JCP&L mobile command center also has been set up to direct the outside workers to where they are most needed. In addition, helicopters and aerial drones are being used to inspect damaged power lines and other equipment.
"Our sizeable restoration team includes JCP&L line workers, damage assessors, forestry specialists, dispatchers and support personnel working in conjunction with other FirstEnergy line crews, contractors and outside utility resources secured through mutual assistance organizations," said Jim Fakult, president of JCP&L. "While we have made good progress, based on the damage we are seeing, many of the remaining outages, especially single customers without power, could take more crew time to restore fewer numbers of customers."
Information about current JCP&L outages is available at http://spr.ly/NJOutageMap. JCP&L customers without power can report their outage by calling 888-LIGHTSS (888-544-4877) or text STAT to 544487 for current updates, including when a crew has been dispatched.
As part of its storm restoration process, JCP&L has taken the following steps:
- Ramped up storm updates on social media and on the company website. Follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or online at www.jcp-l.com
- Activated its Emergency Command Center
- Activated its Incident Command System
- Ongoing communications with emergency management officials, state officials, regulators, and local officials about storm restoration efforts
- Customers without power can find water and ice locations by going to www.firstenergycorp.com/storminfo
JCP&L reminds customers to immediately report downed wires to their utility at 888-LIGHTSS (888-544-4877), or to their local police or fire department. 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.
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.
Generator Safety Reminder
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.
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 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 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Editor's Note: Photos of JCP&L's storm restoration efforts are available for download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
