JCP&L Line Crews and Other Utility Personnel Continue Restoration Process Following Third Nor'easter to Impact Service Area

MORRISTOWN, N.J., March 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) is using more than 3,500 line workers, contractors and other personnel to restore electric service to customers who lost power following the third major nor'easter to hit New Jersey in the past several weeks.

About 61,000 customers have been restored as of 2:30 p.m. after significant accumulations of wet, heavy snow caused outages beginning last night.  Currently, approximately 11,000 customers remain out of service, with the majority of outages being reported in Burlington, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Prior to the storm, JCP&L opened a staging site in Jackson Township in Ocean County to handle the influx of outside workers from as far away as Canada.  With the Ocean County site being in an area with the most significant damage, crews are able to quickly gather supplies and be directed to work locations.  A second staging site also was opened in Essex County.

JCP&L expects about 95 percent of the customers affected by the recent winter storm to be restored by 11:30 p.m. tonight.  The remaining customers are expected to be restored by 11:30 p.m. Friday.

"The staging sites we set up in advance of the heavy snowfall are very busy today as JCP&L personnel, FirstEnergy utility crews and other line workers from such places as Ohio, Michigan, South Carolina and Quebec continue the round-the-clock efforts to restore power to our customers," said Jim Fakult, president of JCP&L.  "As we continue assessing the damage, crews are being deployed to the hardest-hit areas so we can get the most customers back on in the quickest amount of time."

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.

For updated information on the company's current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages. 

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
• Aired radio ads telling customers how to prepare for storms
• Initiated update calls with local officials
• Activated its Incident Command System and Emergency Command Center
• Communicated with emergency management, officials, state officials, regulators, and local officials about storm restoration efforts
• Staffed additional dispatchers and analysts at regional dispatch offices
• Continues efforts to secure additional mutual assistance crews to assist with restoration efforts.

JCP&L also is offering free water & ice to customers remaining out of service.  Customers can pick up water & ice at the following locations.

• Acme Market, 18 Broadway Rd., Browns Mills, N.J. 08015
• Acme Market, 576 River Rd., Fair Haven, N.J. 07704
• Acme Market, 3241 Rt. 9, Freehold, N.J. 07728
• Acme Market, 616 Newman Springs Rd., Lincroft, N.J. 07738
• Acme Market, 507 Prospect Ave., Little Silver, N.J. 07739
• Acme Market, 3505 Rt. 9, Old Bridge, N.J. 08857
• Acme Market, Rt. 35 & Washington Ave., Ortley Beach, N.J. 08751
• Acme Market, 990 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724
• Saker ShopRite, 2200 Rt. 66, Str. 299, Neptune, N.J. 07753
• Saker ShopRite, 319 Rt. 130 N, Str. 509, Hightstown, N.J. 08520
• Saker ShopRite, 3585 Rt. 9, Str. 607, Freehold, N.J. 07728
• Saker ShopRite, 2909 Washington Rd., Str. 553, Parlin, N.J. 08859
• Saker ShopRite, Rt. 36 & Rt. 71, Str. 623, W. Long Branch, N.J. 07764
• Saker ShopRite, 1361 Rt. 35, Str. 628, Middletown, N.J. 07748
• Saker ShopRite, 2433 Hwy. 34, Str. 630, Manasquan, N.J. 08736
• Saker ShopRite, 2 Rt. 37 West, Toms River, N.J. 08753
• Saker ShopRite, 668 Rt. 70 W, Str. 641, Brick, N.J. 08723
• Saker ShopRite, 280 Rt. 9 N, Str. 193, Morganville, N.J. 07751
• Saker ShopRite, 318 Lloyd Rd., Str. 613, Aberdeen, N.J. 07747
• Saker ShopRite, 3140 Rt. 35 S, Hazlet, N.J. 07735
• Food Circus Food Town, 9 Rt. 36 (3 Bayshore Plz.), Atlanta Highlands, N.J. 07716
• Food Circus Food Town, 1560 Rt. 35, Ocean, N.J. 07712
• Food Circus Food Town, 362 Broad St., Red Bank, N.J. 07701
• Food Circus Food Town, 2204 Rt. 35 & Sea Girt Ave., Sea Girt, N.J. 08750
• Food Circus Food Town, 426 Rt. 36, Port Monmouth, N.J. 07758

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, even at this latter stage in the restoration process.

FirstEnergy customers also can subscribe to email and text message alert notifications to receive billing reminders, weather alerts in advance of major storms, and updates on scheduled or extended power outages.  Customers can also use two-way text messaging to report outages, request updates on restoration efforts, and make other inquiries about their electric accounts.  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 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.  Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and follow on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.