Essex County Declares State of Emergency, JCP&L Poised to Respond

No significant power outages have been reported in Essex County a few hours into Winter Storm Nemo, but JCP&L is ready to respond to what could be widespread outages throughout its service area, the utility said in advance of the Nor'easter.

JCP&L crews and support personnel will work around-the-clock, as needed, to restore service if customers are affected by the severe weather, the company said.  Crews will be assisted  by more than 115 crews and additional support personnel from FirstEnergy’s Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison and Mon Power utilities.

The Nor’easter could dump more than a foot of snow and bring heavy winds to Essex County, where widespread, long-term outages caused by Superstorm Sandy are still fresh on many residents’ minds.

Essex County has declared a state of emergency, according to the county’s Office of Emergency Management. No parking will be allowed on country roads after 2 p.m. Friday and vehicles left on roads will be towed.

"In addition to the JCP&L personnel that are on alert, the additional linemen, vehicles and supplies provided by other FirstEnergy will help speed the restoration process if the wet snow and winds damage our equipment and cause service interruptions,"  the company's president Don Lynch said.

Many Essex residents lost power for a week or more after Sandy. The October storm led to gas shortages and rationing as residents swarmed to stations to top off tanks and fill up gas cans to power generators for their homes.

To report downed wires or power outages, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or click here to report your outage online.

In the case of widespread outages, the utility company will also provide updates via the news media, in news releases, Twitter and the JCP&L Facebook account.