PSE&G: More Than 10,000 Homes Without Power in Union County

Residents all over Union County are reporting power outages, with between 500 and 2,000 customers in the dark now in Westfield as Hurricane Sandy blows into town, according to PSE&G. 

Power on Woodland Avenue has been out since approximately 3:30 p.m. and residents in other areas of the north side are reporting outages as well. 

To report an outage, PSE&G advises customers to call 1-800-436-PSEG (7734).

According to PSE&G, electric crews work to restore power to the largest numbers of customers first, taking into account “priority” customers, such as hospitals, police stations, fire stations, water and sewer facilities, communications facilities (TV, radio, and telephone), and customers on life-sustaining medical equipment.  At the same time, the utility restores power to homes and businesses, starting with the circuits serving the largest number of customers.

Customers with a handheld device, or who are at an alternate location with power, can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account at pseg.com. General outage activity throughout our service territory is available online at www.pseg.com/outagecenter and updates are posted on pseg.com during severe weather.

PSE&G has activated its Twitter page to keep the public informed about our restoration progress. Sign up as a follower at http://twitter.com/psegdelivers to monitor restoration progress.

If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, call 908-789-4130 to reach the Westfield Fire Department or 789-4000 to reach the Police Department.

Trees and power lines are down throughout Westfield and in an update i urged residents to stay indoors and off the roads. 

Elizabethtown Gas issued the following advice to customers:

During/Immediately after the storm

• Natural gas is injected with a distinct odor, which many people equate to that of rotten eggs. If the odor of gas is present Elizabethtown Gas 24-hour emergency response line, at 1-800-492-4009 from a safe location. Residents should never try to identify the source of a leak themselves.
• If you smell gas, do not use a telephone or cellular phone, turn light switches on or off, operate any appliance or do anything that might cause a spark, such as a lighting a match.
• If flooding occurs at a residence or business and the gas appliances are or have been submerged under water, do not try to operate the appliances.
• During clean-up and repair after a storm avoid causing damage to the gas lines by calling 8-1-1 before digging. This also pertains to removing downed trees as they can become entangled with natural gas lines.
• Following a weather emergency, ensure the gas meter is visible, and the area surrounding the meter is free of trash and debris. Mechanical equipment used after the storm to clean up a location may damage an unseen meter. If a natural gas meter is damaged or gas line is exposed, immediately leave the area and call the Elizabethtown Gas 24-hour emergency response number at 1-800-492-4009.
• If your gas service was interrupted as a result of the recent storm, restoration time depends on when water recedes in flooded areas and customers’ homes and businesses are free of standing water, and when Elizabethtown Gas personnel can safely enter homes and businesses, and appliances are easily accessible by technicians.

For more information on how to stay safe during severe weather, visit www.elizabethtowngas.com/BePrepared.