Manasquan's Power Appears To Be Fully Restored

MANASQUAN – Manasquan's power appears to be fully restored after Tropical Storm Isaias tore through New Jersey last week, spawning tornadoes and leaving more than 1.3 million homes without power in its wake.

Manasquan sustained strong tropical storm winds and gusts that were near hurricane-force on Aug. 4. Police, fire, EMS and the Department of Public Works responded to a surge in calls for assistance, ranging from trees and wires down, fires, alarms and damage to homes and vehicles.

The storm resulted in widespread power outages throughout Manasquan. On Aug. 4, JCP&L reported the following:

• 1,279 customers affected
• Approximately 31 percent of borough affected
• All 10 circuits sustained damage
• Crews surveyed the damage to the grid
• JCP&L set up a regional staging area in Jackson with line workers, forestry specialists and support personnel and resources from outside areas.

The borough had been coordinating with JCP&L, and the company told officials that they recognized that restoration status was a primary concern to the public and municipalities.

Last week, JCP&L said it would work through the weekend, and final restoration times were expected to run into early this week, but those were the "worst cases."

If you lose power, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report your outage or report it online or via text messaging. Outage information is also available on JCP&L’s 24/7 Power Center Maps.

Elsewhere, two tornadoes formed, in Cape May County and in Ocean County, damaging a church in Ocean City and destroying the outdoor venue of the Surflight Theatre on what was supposed to be opening night for the performance of "Mamma Mia."

Gov. Phil Murphy had issued a state of emergency ahead of the arrival of Isaias, telling residents to stay off the roads and out of harm's way, but many people headed out shortly after the storm passed through.

Police officers were out directing traffic because traffic signals were out, and blocking off roads due to downed power lines.