New Jersey’s utility companies are preparing for possible power outages ahead of severe thunderstorms expected to pass through New Jersey.
Tuesday’s storms come just weeks after more than 1 million people were left in the dark from Tropical Storm Isaias.
“We are monitoring conditions closely and we are adjusting staff and resources as the weather comes in,” says PSE&G spokeswoman Rebecca Mazzarella.
Mazzarella says that the goal is to have power restored as quickly as possible.
“We have several thousand employees in our line crews, project crews, construction crews. They are on standby and kind of alert that the storm is imminent and support the restoration,” she says.
Some Manalapan residents were without power for five days after Isaias. PSE&G says that they are doing everything that they can to improve response times. The company says that they have made improvements when it comes to communicating with customers proactively.
“Sending them text alerts, reminding them what they need to do to report an outage, generator safety. So, we are improving communication in that regard,” Mazzarella says.
Jersey Central Power & Light is also preparing for Tuesday’s storm.
"JCP&L's meteorologists are monitoring conditions and we are prepared to respond to any issues that may arise as a result of the predicated inclement weather,” the company said in a statement.
Homeowners can prepare for power outages themselves by making sure that they have their utility company’s customer service number handy or by downloading the company’s mobile app. People should make sure that their electronics are charged in case of an outage. They can protect other electronics by unplugging them during bad weather.