Superstorm Sandy power numbers did dwindle significantly in Warren and Hunterdon counties at the start of the week, Jersey Central Power & Light reported today.
JCP&L workers work last month on a substation on Industrial Avenue, Alpha, to restore power in parts of Pohatcong Township and Alpha. Power was restored to most of the county by this morning, officials said.
Jeff Ware is going on 16 days without power.
The Holland Township resident said he is one of an estimated 700 to 900 Hunterdon County residents still without power tonight following Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29-30.
Ware said there are about 100 residents in Holland alone that also lack electricity powering their lives.
“I’m not sure when I’m going to get it,” he said.
He said that power was supposed to be restored by this afternoon.
“Well, it’s not,” he said.
Warren faring better
Warren County, which had more than 52,000 electric company customers in the dark early in the morning of Oct. 30, had only 32 still being shown without power this morning, according to the utility.
Hunterdon County was showing 922 customers still out, down from more than 55,000 two weeks ago, but JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano said those should nearly all see service restored by tonight into Tuesday. He said estimates on the company's website were lagging actual restoration.
Hunterdon County Emergency Management Coordinator Brayden Fahey said that 722 customers were still out this morning. The county's shelter on Route 12 closed Sunday night since the demand for service dwindled since Friday, he said. The county's emergency operations center has also returned to normal operations after dealing with hundreds of requests during and after the storm, he said.
Many of Bloomsbury’s 900 or so residents got power back Thursday night, borough Emergency Management Coordinator Vicky Papics said early this afternoon. The lights came back on by Sunday night for much of the rest of Bloomsbury, she said. Classes resumed today at Bloomsbury Elementary School for the first time since the storm.
The situation has also turned around for military veteran Richard Betts, 87, who lives alone in Califon. He was without power for 10 days. He was cold at night. His bones would ache.
His neighbors wouldn't let him bear the brunt of the power outage alone.
"My neighbors were great, I guess they felt bad for the grouchy old man," he deadpanned today. "They invited me over to shave a couple of times. The one man down the road he's a local butcher, he brought me up containers of soup for about four or five nights."
Two others invited him over for an evening meal.
"I don't want to be in welfare," he said proudly. "I've been taking care of myself all my life, you know. I can do it, but when the rug gets pulled out from under you like that you have to depend on other people. You're so appreciative, but at the same time, you're kind of hesitant."
'It's just frustrating'
Ware, of Holland Township, said it’s hard to find out a time frame.
“When you try and find out where we stand in the pecking order, you don’t get anything,” he said.
Ware said he was lucky that no trees smashed through windows or fell on cars.
“It’s just frustrating,” he said.
Morano, from JCP&L, did not immediately return calls for additional comment tonight.
Hunterdon County and municipal officials plan to attend an applicants briefing hosted Thursday by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management in Warren County. The meeting's focus is on what will be eligible for public sector reimbursement by the federal government, Fahey said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened a disaster recovery center at 77 Park Ave., Flemington. It is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily to answer questions and aid in the application process, he said. Residents can also register at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (for those with speech or hearing difficulties), he said.
FEMA's Warren County disaster recovery center at the Franklin Township Municipal Building, 2093 Route 57, is also open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
UPDATE: Jeff Ware called Tuesday morning from Holland Township to say his power came
back on Monday night and praised a power crew from Pittsburgh for getting the job done on his street. He plans to spend the day helping his wife vacuum and getting the refrigerator back together, he said.