FirstEnergy Corp.'s utilities have restored service to more than 288,000 customers of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed) who lost power after Tropical Storm Isaias swept through the region Tuesday. Crews are working around the clock to assess damage and restore service to about 588,000 customers who remain without power in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The powerful storm system passed swiftly through New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania Tuesday afternoon, pouring down up to 7 in. of rain and battering the region with wind gusts exceeding 65 mph.
Nearly 4,000 utility personnel are working to restore power in JCP&L's service territory, including about 1,000 JCP&L employees, 1,500 employees and contractors from FirstEnergy companies that were not impacted by the storm, and more than 1,500 external resources that had already been secured. About 1,300 additional external line workers are being deployed and two additional staging sites are being established in Forked River and North Flemington, New Jersey, to provide further restoration assistance in the hardest hit areas of JCP&L's service territory.
Met-Ed line crews are being assisted by about 154 external utility personnel, contractors who have been working on transmission and distribution projects across its service area, as well as additional employees and contractors assisting from the company's other Pennsylvania utilities.
"As the Tropical Storm crossed our JCP&L and Met-Ed service territories, heavy winds and rain caused thousands of instances of downed wires, broken poles and crossarms, and damaged transformers caused by trees and other debris contacting our electrical equipment," says Samuel L. Belcher, senior vice president and president of FirstEnergy Utilities. "Though repair work can be slowed by unsafe working conditions and numerous road closures, we will continue to work around the clock to safely make repairs and deploy resources as needed until power to all customers has been restored."
Current outage updates as of 10 a.m. on Aug. 5 include:
- JCP&L: About 788,000 customers in northern and central New Jersey lost power due to the storm, and 565,000 remain without service. Hardest hit areas include Monmouth, Ocean and Morris counties. Estimated restoration times will be established as damage assessment progresses.
- Met-Ed: About 88,000 customers in eastern Pennsylvania lost power due to the storm, and 23,000 remain without service. Based on current outages, the majority of customers are expected to be restored by August 7 at 2:00 p.m.
FirstEnergy continues to ensure the safety and health of all emergency response personnel by adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines during the coronavirus health emergency. To safeguard the health and safety of FirstEnergy employees, contractors and the public, please respect social distancing protocols as utility personnel continue to restore all power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias.
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.
