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PSE&G Hurricane Irene Update: Sep. 1, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.
— Outage update: About 15,000 PSE&G customers remain impacted by Hurricane Irene, down from 33,000 as of last evening
— Estimated restoration: By Friday midnight for remaining customers in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties. By Sunday for last remaining customers in central NJ counties of Union, Middlesex and Somerset, where power restoration has been hampered by severe flooding.
— Worst storm in the company’s history impacted more than one-third of the utility’s 2.2 million electric customers.
— PSE&G has 6,000 employees supporting the restoration effort, including crews from Wisconsin, West Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The crews are working around the clock.
— Flooding is also affecting gas service in counties such as Somerset and Passaic.
— Next update will be approx. 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 1.
FLOODED BASEMENTS
Flooded basements can pose a genuine safety risk. Customers should be cautious:
If they lose electricity and their basement is flooded, notify PSE&G (1-800-436-PSEG (7734) and call their municipality for direction and assistance in pumping water out of their basements. Stay away from the breaker box if it’s in a flooded basement. And don’t go into a flooded basement if energized wires are present.
If water is rising to the height of any gas appliance, the gas supply to the appliance should be turned off. If customers are unable to do so, they should contact PSE&G or their local police or fire department for assistance. To restore gas service to appliances call PSE&G (1-800-436-7734) and have the appliances checked for safety and restored to proper operation.
Customers should call PSE&G (1-800-436-PSEG (7734) immediately if they smell gas.
GENERATORS
Customers who use portable electric generators should carefully read and follow the manual that came with it. Be sure your generator is UL-approved, installed by a licensed electrician and inspected by your local electrical inspector. There must be a way to physically disconnect your generator from utility lines. Customers who improperly install, operate or maintain a generator are responsible for any injury or damage suffered by themselves, their neighbors or utility workers.
To report a power outage, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734).