Not All Power Restored After Utility Pole Accident Repairs Completed
JCP&L has not given officials reason why some in the Mills Street neighborhood still have no power after losing it when a garbage truck caught low-hanging power lines, causing three utility poles to break.
Photos
The work is done at Washington and Mills, but some that somehow never lost power from last week's hurricane now remain in the dark.
Unfortunately, no one seems to know why. And, if they do, they're not telling.
Amidst another storm coming through our area Wednesday, JCP&L and Verizon crews finished repairing and replacing utility poles that were knocked down Tuesday morning at the intersection after an independently-owned garbage truck caught low-hanging power lines and dragged them down.
Crews were out most of the day Wednesday and appeared finished by 6 p.m., as wet snow fell on Morristown. However, a follow-up inspection immediately after revealed additional work needed and the whole project did not wrap up until a couple hours later.
And while what The Weather Channel decided to call "Winter Storm Athena" did not appear to cause much more additional damage to an area still recovering from what everyone now calls "Superstorm Sandy," some that lost power from the utility pole accident remained without power by Thursday.
"We're trying to find out why there is power restored to some and not others," Morristown Business Administrator Michael Rogers said. "As far their work, it's completed. We don't know if they need to come back for something. It has been hard to get any specific information for JCP&L. We're trying to get answers."
The vocal confusion and frustration seems to be mounting against the utility, not only from those still without electricity but from officials that had up to this point held comments in check. On Wednesday, Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty issued a statement saying that JCP&L had not met its estimated seven-to-10 day timeframe for full power restoration, and that the utility had now finally given a Saturday, Nov. 10 projection for that goal.
Meanwhile, several calls and email inquiries to JCP&L by Patch have not been returned in several days.
"It's been frustrating," Rogers said. "It has been continued frustration that we share with our residents and it's—I can only look to JCP&L to hopefully learn from this experience on how they can improve."
The business administrator said people continue to call the town as well as stop into Town Hall—where a storm information booth remains in the lobby—to ask questions and to vent.
"We're all in the same boat here on what information we get and don't get and the frustration of not receiving more specifics," he said.
Josh
12:41 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
why do I feel like these are all the same comments from our government, that we heard last year. And what happens now that JCP&L did not meet the commitment? And when they don't meet the next one. will the mayor continue to wag has finger and say shame on you.
Jay Allen
12:42 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
This is similar to what we've experienced in my neighborhood as well. All of the power lines which had come down have been reconnected, and yet we remain without power 10 days after the hurricane. I placed a call into JCP&L to inquire as to why this would be the case, and no one could provide an answer. Very frustrating.
Stuart Foreman
1:00 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
They did not complete the repair at Washington and Mill. That outage caused residents on Early St to loose power, when they finished last night - we are still without power. Last year I was 12 days without Power. This year it is sounding like it will be a minimum of 4 days without Power. Not to mention I work from my house, and we have an outage EVERY month since last Sept of some kind. This is ridiculous. I feel like I live in 1890's town. Maybe I should put an outhouse in - just for the full effect.
Martatown
2:21 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
When everyone finally gets power you won't be able to get to work in NYC for a month...NJT is getting off easy at the moment. If you think you waited long for power, wait until you see how long it takes of the Morris/Essex lien to come back.
Martatown
2:22 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Has anyone got any NJT morris Essex info??
morristownguy
6:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
No power on Wetmore Ave still.. Day 11. Thanks JCP&L
morristownguy
6:40 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Great. No power on Wetmore Ave. Still. Thanks JCP&L!!!
morristownguy
6:41 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Day 11 by the way
Rich
9:15 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
No power on Rolling Hill. At least they moved the downed wires after only 10 days.
Rich
9:15 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Not blaming the workers, by the way, but their management should be ashamed of themselves.
Joseph Torres
10:29 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Since First Energy took over ownership of JCP&L Transmission and Distribution system
It’s become totally unreliable; recall last August outage lasting 5 days and last Octobers outage lasting 5-6 days and now this outage in its 10th day.
Yes there was a huge storm and some outages are inevitable, however you would think that after IRENE this Company would have devoted itself to more productive tree trimming program.
I know limbs and tress will fall however think of the savings in time and man hours if proper tree and limb trimming had been done over the past 11-12 months since IRENE.
I hope the Governor keeps his promise and demands that PSE&G and JCP&L( First Energy) review there storm management play book and make the necessary changes am sure JCP&L are using an out dated Policy and Procedure manual sadly in need of revision.
Andrew Benedict
11:45 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Still no power on Mills Street 10 days in. No trucks visible in neighborhood. Any info on how to get updates on what is being worked on and where? I figured that opening up the elementary school would be a priority at this point...
Veronica
1:51 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Quit complaining do you guys not see that your not the only ones that dont have power . At least you still have a home to go to.
ryancnj
2:04 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Just because we are voicing our concerns about our power outage does not mean that we do not feel for the people who lost their homes. And just because much worse things have happened to other people does not mean that we should not voice any of our concerns.
GW
2:20 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Ryancnj is right on point, Veronica, and I would add, quit telling people whose circumstances you have no knowledge of, to quit complaining. The challenges they face are real, whether you deem them so or not.
Veronica
2:12 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
This message is for joseph torres regarding the trees by state law its your responsibility to maintain the trees on your property before they begin to hang near power lines. If they do grow over the lines you are to call jcp&l to and imforn them to cut them down
Kathy
6:34 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Finally I saw a crew working on the down pole on Ogden just now. Hopefully power will return shortly to the affected area.