UPDATE: Most Borough Homes Should Have Power Restored Today

After nearly a week, most borough households that are still without power following Hurricane Irene should have power restored by late Friday, while any remaining households should have power back on by Sunday.

Mayor J. Brooke Hern said he asked JCP&L for a time-line and he was given one that includes households still without power in New Providence and neighboring towns.

“I really pushed for some type of time-line from JCP&L,” Hern said Friday afternoon in a phone interview. “They expect 770 customers in New Providence and bordering neighborhoods will have their power restored by the end of the day today. Anyone who is left will either get their power back tomorrow or Sunday, if there is anyone left.”

As of 10:40 p.m., the estimated number of households still without power was reported on the JCP&L map as follows:

• New Providence: 14
• Murray Hill: 2
• Berkeley Heights: 280
• Summit: 934

Hern said JCP&L had difficulty separating out their numbers between New Providence, Berkeley Heights and Summit, which is why the power company included surrounding neighborhoods in the time-line given to Hern.

“It’s hard to break down because they just don’t have the houses separated by actual municipalities and there are overlaps in their numbers,” Hern said. “Beyond being a pest to JCP&L, obviously there’s nothing I can do as Mayor to force them to restore power. But as time has gone on here, I think people really deserve to know what they can expect in terms of repairing these problems, these issues, and restoring power. So, I really pushed for a time-line. I’m assured that this is a realistic time-line.”

Hern said Borough Administrator Doug Marvin, Director of Public Works Jim Johnston, and Borough Engineer Andrew Hipolit toured through the stream bank areas of the borough on Thursday to assess the damages from Hurricane Irene.

“The borough engineer is preparing a report, and we’ll come up with an action plan for all the necessary clean-up along by the stream bank,” Hern said on Thursday afternoon. “The report that the borough engineer will produce will also be submitted to FEMA to the extent that we can get any kind of government funding for clean-ups and repairs to the stream banks and the areas around that.”

On Friday, Hern said he is expecting that report next week, but confirmed that there is substantial damage in the borough that will need to be repaired.

“This is going to be a big process, and we’re working now with Union County to get our county included in the declaration of emergency that FEMA recognizes,” Hern said. “We’re going to be applying for FEMA funds. I just signed an inter-local agreement with Union County so that they can assist us with the clean-up as well; so, once the water recedes, we’ll be able to put together engineering plans for fixing some of the damage that occurred.”