Jersey Central Brings In Extra Crews, Says It's Ready For Weekend Storm

The first winter storm of 2016 is expected to be a big one, with the potential of anywhere between four inches and two feet of snow accumulation, and damaging winds.

Electric utility provider Jersey Central Power & Light says it’s prepared and making necessary adjustments as the powerful storm works its way into northern New jersey.

JCP&L said its company’s meteorologists are expecting a foot of snow in the area, with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour in some parts of the state.

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As a result the company has implemented a storm plan, including staffing additional dispatchers and analysts at regional offices and has made arrangements to bring in additional line, substation, and forestry personnel. Substations in flood-prone areas are being reinforced with protection devices.

“We are monitoring the weather conditions closely and are making plans to deploy resources and personnel to the areas that could get hit the hardest,” said Tony Hurley, JCP&L vice president of Operations, in a statement. “The ultimate goal of our pre-planning efforts is to help speed the restoration process and minimize any inconvenience our customers experience due to the weather.”

To report an outage by phone, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or click on the “Report Outage” link at jcp-l.com. Downed wires should be reported to local police or fire department.