26,000 Without Electric Power In Monmouth County, JCP&L Reports

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Approximately 26,000 people are currently without electric power in Monmouth County Monday morning, according to the area's electric provider, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L).

Outages are scattered, with the worst-hit towns being Eatontown, Tinton Falls, Middletown and Manasquan, according to JCP&L.

The power went out at about 9:45 a.m. and it was caused by a trip on a high-voltage transmission line that feeds the substations, said Chris Hoenig, a spokesman for JCP&L and its parent company First Energy.

JCP&L has not yet determined a cause for the trip, and the investigation is continuing. Restoration times are still yet to be determined.

Power is out at the Eatontown Wawa and at many, many other stores and businesses along Rt. 35 through Eatontown, Tinton Falls and into Middletown.

This is part of a larger JCP&L power outage in five states across the country, affecting 33,000 customers total. But the bulk of the outages — 26,000 — are in Monmouth County. That's because FirstEnergy's transmission lines in Monmouth County supply electric power to the company nationwide.

Current outages as of 11 a.m. Monday, according to FirstEnergy:

Monmouth County, NJ: 26,903

Lorain County, OH: 3,560

Preston County, WV: 1,201

Hunterdon County, NJ: 233

Ocean County, NJ: 168

Berks County, PA: 150

Morris County, NJ: 142

Hampshire County, WV: 127

York County, PA: 122

Erie County, PA: 107