Power restored for most New Jersey customers ahead of Friday, says the state’s power provider.
But here’s where it gets interesting: the company estimates full recovery in the hardest-hit areas by Friday, and possibly sooner.
What happened, and why does this matter? A historic blizzard dumped heavy, wet snow and winds gusting past 55 mph across the service region, triggering widespread outages. By Monday evening, more than 90,000 homes and businesses were without power. By Tuesday afternoon, crews had already restored electricity to about 113,000 of the 130,000 customers the company serves, marking significant progress.
As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, outages affecting roughly 17,000 customers remained, primarily in Atlantic, Cape May, and Burlington Counties. The company positioned itself for a rapid and large-scale restoration, assembling one of its biggest contingents of field workers in recent years—over 1,100 people in total. That squad includes more than 200 internal staff, nearly 700 mutual-aid workers, 240 tree crews, and nearby local contractors.
Residents are encouraged to report outages and downed wires by calling 800-833-7476.
This situation raises a few points worth discussing: what counts as “fast enough” in emergency restoration, and how can utility crews balance speed with safety when dealing with heavy snowfall and dangerous conditions? Are there additional steps or risks that communities should consider when storms of this magnitude hit? Share your thoughts in the comments: do you think the restoration timeline is reasonable, or should customers push for different priorities or protections during severe weather events?
