UPDATE: Ocean County Power Outages

More than 170,000 customers in Ocean County are still in the dark.

Power outage numbers continued to drop slightly across the state Thursday. According to one utility company, though, residents shouldn't expect power back any time soon from a storm it is comparing to Hurricane Katrina. JCP&L reported in a release on Wednesday that the majority of customers will be restored within the next seven days. However, it could take up to two weeks for customers in the hardest-hit areas to regain power, the company said. JCP&L reported about 822,000 of its nearly 1.1 million customers remained in the dark as of about 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, according to its outage map. The number includes 170,303 in Ocean County, down from the 202,655 who were without power late Wednesday night. “The damage from Hurricane Sandy far …

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Strong Storm Leaves Residents Coping with Damage [PHOTOS]

Police and residents continue to address downed wires and trees

Residents throughout Lacey are coping with property damage after strong winds swept through the area Tuesday night. Last night, more than 700 residents were without electricity. As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, approximately 41 residents were still experiencing a power outage, according to JCP&L’s power outage map. Trucks carrying tree branches and some with telephone poles traveled the streets of Lacey this afternoon. Fran of Spruce Street, who declined to provide her last name, was watching So You Think You Can Dance when her house began to shake and the windows rattled Tuesday night. She and her husband sought shelter in the bathroom when they heard a loud bang. A tree had uprooted and struck their house. The tree still rests on the newly …

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Strong Storm Leaves 719 Residents Without Power

Tell us how the storm impacted your area

Tonight’s storm pummeled through Lacey Township, leaving 719 residents without power according to JCP&L’s power outage map. Lacey police were unavailable for comment to confirm the extent of damage as a result of the storm. Moving forward, the National Weather Service is predicting showers and a possible thunderstorm overnight. Some of the storms may produce heavy rain with a southwest wind between 13 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.  As for the Wednesday morning commute, there is a 30 percent chance of showers before 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Please return to Lacey Patch as more information becomes available. In the meantime, how was your area impacted? Any trees or …

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Route 9 Reopened Following Car Crash

Approximately 840 residents had experienced a power outage after a car struck a utility pole in front of Oyster Creek Generating Station

Route 9 has reopened after a one-car accident occurred on Route 9 South early this morning. At approximately 6:15 a.m. this morning, a 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup operated by Paul Shook, 28, of Barnegat struck a utility pole on Route 9’s northbound shoulder, Lt. James Veltri said. Shook was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin after complaining of chest pains, he said. As a result, the involved telephone pole, located in front of Oyster Creek Generating Station, sustained damage and had low hanging wires, he said. The police department closed both sides of the roads since wires were hanging low, he said. Route 9 was closed between Beach Boulevard in Lacey and Bay Parkway in Waretown and detours were set up. Approximately 840 …

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Hurricane Irene

Fourth Day Without Power For 40 in Lacey

JCP&L continues to work toward restoring power to thousands throughout Ocean County

About 40 residents are on their fourth day without electricity in Lacey Township. After Hurricane Irene ripped through town leaving downed trees and wires, thousands were left without power. As of Monday, Aug. 29, power was restored to 1,463 Lanoka Harbor residents and 3,000 Forked River and Bamber Lake residents, Administrator Veronica Laureigh said. Approximately 4,600 were still out. JCP&L was hoping to restore 90 percent of the power to the area by the end of the week, Township Administrator Veronica Laureigh said. Currently, JCP&L is reporting approximately 8,250 Ocean County residents are still without power. At 7:25 a.m. this morning, JCP&L had this to say: “JCP&L is continuing to experience power outages due to the effects of …

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Car Accident Knocks Power Out to 1,700 Bayville Residents, Closes Route 9 North

Power may be restored over next 6 to 8 hours; St. Barnabas R.C. Church and Clara B. Worth Elementary School will be open as cooling centers throughout the night

Some township residents are in for a hot night tonight, after a truck struck a utility pole shortly after 3 p.m. this afternoon and split it in half, Sgt. James J. Smith Jr. said. Route 9 North will be closed until repairs are made to the pole, which may not be completed until tomorrow morning. That's bad news for those without power on a day where temperatures soared to over 100 degrees. "It seems like it's a pretty big job that will go one until the morning," Smith said. Smith and Mayor Jason J. Varano had a conference call with JCP&L officials a short while ago and were told a transformer on the pole had to be repaired and some circuits rebuilt. "It's a mess," Smith said. Traffic on Route 9 North will be detoured onto Sloop Creek Road …

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