121K Still Without Power In Monmouth County After Tropical Storm

MONMOUTH COUNTY – The aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias continues to wreak havoc on Monmouth County as municipalities scramble to clean up tree limbs, branches and outdoor furniture strewn across highways, streets and lawns. Thousands of homes, which lost power Tuesday afternoon, could be without power for quite some time.

In a press briefing early Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy said that, while the state is prepared to handle the power outages, restorations could take as long as days in some areas.

“This storm is escalating quickly and the numbers are rapidly changing,” Murphy tweeted during the storm. “We are in touch with all major utilities, which are working to restore power ASAP.”

As of 10 a.m. on Wednesday, PSE&G reported that 99.08 percent of Monmouth County customers were left without power. By 10 p.m. that evening, only 9.98 percent of customers were still affected.

JCP&L is still reporting that over 121,000 households in Monmouth County remain without power as of 10 p.m. on Wednesday. Currently, there is no estimated restoration time available.

The town hit the hardest by the power outages in Monmouth County is Middletown, followed by Marlboro and Freehold Township.

Several roadways remained impassable this morning as live wires and tree limbs blocked major roads, such as Highway 36 in Hazlet. The roadway was closed in both directions between Middle Road and Pool Avenue for more than 24 hours. As of Wednesday evening, the highway is operational.

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