Mayor: We're Frustrated With the Time Taken for Power Restoration

Although she finally saw power restored around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, it was the five days of uncertainty that left a Bridgewater resident angered by the lack of efforts made through JCP&L.

Bridgewater resident Sara, who declined to provide her last name, said she was frustrated with how long it took JCP&L to restore power to her home near , which has been closed for three days with no power.

"No one has seen the JCP&L trucks in days, and there is one area near Meadow Road where a transformer blew," she said. "There are 685 people in that block of houses, they are all JCP&L customers."

She said there was a wire hanging down on Spring Valley Drive near the school, which was supposed to be considered a live wire, and which hit the dashboard of her car when she drove by Monday.

"I would think the company would try to put the wire to the side of the road," she said.

For most of the houses in the area, she said, they use wells, so the water is pumped electrically, and they had been dealing without water and power for days.

With numbers of JCP&L customers in Bridgewater without power currently being reported at 91, Sara said she is still frustrated by how long it took.

"All these people would have felt a lot better if they had had some realistic idea of what was going on, rather than being told that things would be fixed by Thursday," she said. "I was very concerned about my neighbors who don't have a  generator to heat the rooms. There are a lot of people who have been here for 30 to 40 years, a lot of elderly people who do not want to vacate their homes."

She said that the biggest thing is to not feel like they're being lied to by the company. Her family spent the days using a small generator to heat one room, visiting neighbors to take showers and living in a dark house.

Apparently, she said, JCP&L workers who did restore the power Wednesday afternoon said they were required to go to more densely populated areas first, which was why it took so long to restore the power in Bridgewater.

"I think it was the uncertainty and lack of real directness of the company we rely on that's making us feel frustrated," she said.

For Bridgewater Township Mayor Patricia Flannery, she has spent the past few days on conference calls with JCP&L every morning to advocate for the town.

"I feel that the solution is a long-term one that state government has to bring power companies to be more responsive," she said. "I understand this is a significant and extremely unusual storm. I see damage all over that I can't recall seeing in my lifetime."

But, Flannery said, the charts she has seen from JCP&L about power restoration have not been reliable.

"There were people who were supposed to get power yesterday who didn't," she said. "The level of communication is extremely lacking."

Flannery said residents are concerned about whether they should stay in a hotel another night or whether they can return to their homes.

"The lack of answers and accountability from the utilities is extremely frustrating," she said.

At this point, Flannery said, as the numbers of those without power do seem to be dwindling, she said she recommends residents do not return to their homes until they are sure the power is back. And for those residents who do not have anyplace to go, and cannot remain in their homes she said, they should call the township at 908-725-6300 for assistance.

"It is the seniors who concern me because oftentimes they tend to be more stoic," she said. "But we are hoping all the power is back today."

"I can only sympathize and express my frustration as well," she added. "We have to pass that up the ladder to the governor and legislators that there has to be more oversight and more being held accountable."