Widespread power outage hits Monmouth, Ocean counties

Widespread power outage hits Monmouth, Ocean counties
by The Star-Ledger Continuous New Desk
Tuesday December 09, 2008, 6:31 PM
An outage has knocked out power to almost all of Monmouth County and parts of Ocean County, according to a spokesman for the utility company that serves the area.

In Ocean County, customers have lost service in parts of Lakewood, Toms River and Barnegat, according to the website for Jersey Central Power & Light.

"Calls are coming in like crazy," said Peter Johner, a spokesman for the utility.

So far, the outage has affected thousands of customers and shut down traffic lights on major roads including Route 36, just in time for rush hour, authorities said.

Johner said JCP&L is trying to determine the cause of the problem, but the scope of the outage suggests it is with the transmission and not distribution.

Further details about when power might be restored were not immediately available.

Hazlet police encouraged drivers who would normally take Route 36 to use local roads and said additional officers have been dispatched to monitor traffic.

Russell Holstein, a Long Branch psychologist, said he told his evening patients not to come in after he lost power in his office tonight.

"I can't work in the dark," he said.

Holstein, who lives in West Allenhurst, said he plans to take local roads home, avoiding backups on major thoroughfares where traffic lights have been disabled.

"When you get to a traffic light, that's where people get confused," he said. "I'm going to be very careful. I know where the lights are, and I'll be watching."

Holstein said he vividly remembers an outage several years ago that left his family without power for days. Still, he said, his family has taken no special precautions to prepare for this type of event.

"I'm like most people," he said. "We count on the electric company."