Power Now Restored to Nearly 23,000 In Essex County

Power was restored at 2:35 p.m. to 23,000 Essex County customers after equipment failure at the  VA Hospital in East Orange caused an outage at 1:35 p.m.

PSE&G earlier reported a power outage that mostly affected residents of Newark, South Orange, West Orange, East Orange and the southern parts of Orange. Some 500 residents in Montclair were impacted.

To stay aware of outage situations, go here.

To contact PSE&G: 800-436-PSEG (7734), 24 hours, 7 days

From PSE&G:

• If you lose power, first check your fuse and/or circuit breaker box and main breaker if appropriate. If that is not the problem, and your neighbors also have no power, call PSE&G at 1-800-436 7734.
• If your fuse or breakers are in a flooded area, do not go near them until the water recedes or is removed.
• Always stay away from fallen power lines, and always assume they are energized. Notify us at 1-800-436-7734 if you notice wires are down in your area.
• Turn off major appliances.
• Have a battery-operated radio and flashlight handy.

Tips to prevent food spoilage:

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold enough for a few hours. A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours and a full freezer for 48 hours.
• You can also extend food storage by packing refrigerated milk, dairy products, meats, fish poultry, eggs, and other foods in a cooler surrounded by ice.
• Specific advice on food spoilage is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the American Red Cross.