PSE&G Prepared for Outages as Andrea Hits Region

PSE&G said it was prepared for power outages as the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea moved through Northern New Jersey Friday night.

"In anticipation of the heavy rain, PSE&G is ensuring that all available personnel are ready to respond should there be outages associated with the storm," according to an emailed statement from the energy company.

There were few outages reported Friday night at about 9 p.m. However, a transformer malfunction, likely due to the weather, caused about 7,300 PSE&G customers to lower power Friday afternoon, according to NJ.com. Most of those affected were Rahway residents and some in Clark.

A flood warning for small streams remained in effect for much of Northern New Jersey Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.

General outage activity throughout the PSE&G service territory is available at its outage center and updates are posted on pseg.com. PSE&G planned to use its Twitter page if outages became widespread. 

PSE&G released the following safety tips:

Downed wires

• Downed wires may appear dead but should always be considered "live."  Stay away from downed lines. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that it might be in contact with. Parents are urged to check for downed wires in areas where their children might play and to remind the children to stay far away from any wires. If a wire falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay in the vehicle until help arrives. To report a downed wire, call 1-800-436-PSEG and tell PSE&G the nearest cross street. 

Customers with life-sustaining equipment

• Individuals who rely on electricity to operate life-sustaining electronic equipment, such as a respirator or dialysis machine, should pre-register with PSE&G to receive priority attention in the event of an outage.  To request the service, call PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG.  They should also inform their rescue squads and fire departments of their needs, in case of emergency.  Even though customers with life-sustaining equipment who have registered with PSE&G will receive priority attention during outages, they should also have emergency back-up equipment on hand, since immediate restoration cannot be guaranteed. 

If you lose power

• First check your neighborhood.  If you are the only one without power, check your fuse box for tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses.  If that’s not the problem, look outside at the wire between your house and the utility pole.  If it is down, report it immediately to PSE&G. 

General tips

• Mother Nature can be unpredictable. It’s wise to have an emergency kit on hand year round. Here are some things to include: A battery powered radio. A corded telephone. (Cordless phones will not work if the power is out.) Flashlights and extra fresh batteries. A first-aid kit. Bottled water and an adequate supply of non-perishable food. A non-electric can opener. Matches and candles with holders. Extra blankets and sleeping bags. 

To report outages or downed wires, call 1-800-436-PSEG.