Toms River Begins Brush Collection As Isaias Cleanup Continues

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River is collecting brush and debris as residents continue to clean up from the damage caused by Tropical Storm Isaias.

As of early Saturday., there were just over 400 homes still without electricity in Toms River, according to Jersey Central Power & Light. At the peak, there were more than 47,000 outages in the township.

Statewide, there were just over 242,000 homes still without power Friday afternoon, down from 1.4 million who lost power as a result of the 50 mph winds and 70 mph gusts that Isaias was packing.

Included in the outages is part of the downtown area; the main branch of the Ocean County Library, on Washington Street, remained closed Friday because of the power outage. The library will be closed Saturday as well due to the ongoing power issues.

Other branches and reading rooms throughout Ocean County were expected to be open, subject to their adjusted schedules, which you can find on the library's website.

JCP&L officials have said the company has nearly 6,000 workers making repairs in its service area and expected to have 85 percent of the outages restored by Friday evening. Its worst-case scenario for restoring service is Tuesday evening.

It was offering free ice and water at both ShopRites and at Stop N Shop for those without electricity.

The township has started picking up debris and brush from the storm. Residents should put the debris at the curb and call the Public Works Department at 732-255-1000.

"This process will be ongoing for the next several weeks," township officials said. "We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time."

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