To our customers,
We understand that power is critical to supporting your family and your lifestyle – and this is especially true today, when so many of us are homebound during the pandemic. We also understand that accurate information on restoration times is critical to help you plan your daily life.
Tropical Storm Isaias was one of the most powerful storms to strike the Northeast in years, with reports of tornados and wind gusts topping 100 mph in some places. At its peak, more than 1.7 million homes and businesses lost power across New Jersey and Long Island – including 575,000 PSE&G customers.
Our goal always is to restore power safely and as quickly as possible. PSE&G began preparing for this storm last week and currently has nearly 3,300 personnel, including tree-trimming crews and utility lineworkers, dedicated to restoring customers. That number includes mutual aid workers called in from across the U.S. and Canada as forecasters warned that the storm would have a severe impact on the region.
As of Thursday afternoon, power has been restored to more than 475,000 PSE&G customers, and our crews will be working around the clock until every customer who lost power is turned back on. Crews are assigned to restore critical facilities first – such as hospitals and emergency responders – followed by outages affecting the largest numbers of customers, then addressing outages affecting smaller numbers or individual customers.
We expect that 85% of all affected PSE&G customers will be restored by the end of Friday, with remaining outages restored sometime over the weekend, and possibly into Monday. While that effort continues, our teams are setting up customer outreach and comfort stations in heavily affected areas.
Tropical Storm Isaias’ impact on customers was historic – causing more outages than any weather event in recent years. Our customer call centers worked throughout Tuesday and into the night, in New Jersey experiencing a month’s worth of call volume in less than 24 hours. In some areas, the storm’s impact on telecommunication networks and computer systems also affected our ability to respond to customer calls or update our online outage maps as quickly as we wanted.
When extreme weather strikes, one of the best ways to communicate with us is through our mobile apps, which help customers report outages and receive status updates for estimated restoration times. In New Jersey, more than 50,000 new app downloads occurred just before or during Tuesday’s storm. I encourage every customer to take advantage of this service.
Our restoration crews are working tirelessly, and we are thankful for your patience.
Until every customer affected by Tropical Storm Isaias is restored, we want you to know we are here for you. From tree removal to repairing poles and wires on your street to strengthening critical infrastructure serving your communities, we’re doing everything we can to restore power to your home safely and as quickly as possible.
Thank you.
Yes we understand but priorities should be given to our senior citizen communities. Many have underlying medical conditions and 36+ hrs in the sweltering heat unable to cook, use a cooling fan, and watch their refrigerators warm spoiling food, many will eat the spoiled food because they have no money to go out and purchase new replacement food. Many of these same seniors live by themselves and do not drive., leaving them unable to go and pickup free ice and water, but their neighbors that can drive are only issued 1 bag of ice and I package of water and the distribution sites refuse to give out additional amounts (yes will some take advantage of the situation but most are only trying to help their non driving neighbors. The Covid 19 has been hard on all of them particularly of the older seniors 80+ that aren’t computer savvy but add in no electric & AC for over 24 hrs can be in in bareable. I know of a few that were transported and admitted to the hospital in a senior community in Columbus NJ as a result of no fans, AC, and sweltering heat. I myself survived because I lived through hurricane Sandy in 2012 in the Pt Pleasant/Mantoloking area with no electric for 15 days, but I am a younger senior. Please include senior communities in your emergency plan for the next disaster.
You are a BS-Artist – keep getting fat off of Long Islanders hard earned money. You should be ashamed of yourself !
I too understand the difficulties during a storm. Unfortunately, I have been without power and a live wire on my lawn for four days. I am the only resident in a 4 mile radius without power. The fire dept. and police dept. have both been at my home. They both deemed it a hazardous and dangerous situation to all the community. I called the mayors office who stated they too were going to call. As of yet no one from PSEG has arrived. I do want to thank the Passaic police because they have stayed on the property to prevent an accidental death. How long do I wait? Who gets priority? Is life do little valued? I’m yet to have my answer. The city came to cut down the tree and backed away when they noticed the live wire. Mr. Izzo when is this matter going to be taken care of.
Ralph, please leave and stop lying.
Ralph, we have waited long enough and quite frankly, I am done with PSEG pathetic service. Get the power on so we can resume our lives. The ice and water does not replace all of the food that has been spoiled. This is day 5 and still no power!
PSE&G sucks. Told by contractor that we just need a back feed and can repair tomorrow. Still sitting in the dark. Piece of shit company. Should have been done last night but lazy ass who capped line didn’t do his job.
Mr. Izzo. I am representing 23 Woodland Drive, Sands Point NY. There is a down wire on their driveway. PSEG is fully aware as they have been told many times. Even one of their supervisors, who was responding to a house with an ill person down the street, saw it and said it should have been fixed on day one. No trees were down on the property. This house is owned by a psychiatrist who gives impeccable and round the clock service to his patients. The patients who come to the home office are climbing over and driving over these dangerous wires. WHY IS IT that this address is not being given their power until August 12? EIGHT days without power?
Can you respond to this question without telling the owners “I am not responsible and I have no contact with the dispatchers”.
This is an emergency Mr. Izzo. Can you take responsibility as do our real “ First Responders” for treating the COVID-19 virus.
Thank you for your critical help in this situation.
Respectfully,
Terry Makover