Nearly 100,000 JCP&L customers lose power during powerful overnight storms

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North Jersey saw most of the damage from overnight severe storms. Winds knocked out power to about 100,000 Jersey Central Power & Light customers in North Jersey. A substantial number of trees were knocked down on power lines, and many lines and poles snapped as well. The company says it hopes to have everyone restored by Saturday, the majority sooner. JCP&L spokesperson Chris Hoenig says the service area in northern New Jersey is mountain terrain, heavily forested and most of the densely forested areas of New Jersey. "We've got over 1,000 line workers beyond our JCP&L crews, these are contractors, out of state crews that are coming in to help, they are joining the restoration efforts. But when you have dozens, hundreds of damage locations, each one takes several hours to make the repairs it just adds up to more than a days’ worth of restoration efforts," Hoenig said. Free water and ice is available to JCP&L customers who are without power due to severe storms. "