Photo: Sara Scully
By Sara Scully
Wednesday, Oct. 31 update:
5:30 p.m. Mayor DelVecchio urged Lambertville residents, “If you have a place to go for the weekend with power, go!” this was after a daily 4 pm call with JCP&L who said it could be “7-10 days” for some areas, in addition to the 7 they initially predicted to restore power. With near freezing temperatures coming and many without heat, residents at the Mayor’s spontaneous City Hall briefing were concerned about keeping warm.
Trash pick up will remain on schedule. The Hunterdon County Shelter has beds available on Route 12 County Complex, Flemington, NJ.
4:30 p.m. Lambertville City Clerk Cindy Ege: “City is now prepared to hold elections with or without power.” Generators & lights secured.
3 p.m.
Two updates from the City of Lambertville:
ELECTION DAY WILL GO ON WITH OR WITHOUT POWER Lambertville remains without power but the City of Lambertville is making preparations already to hold elections, even if the grid is down. The City is seeking alternative power and lighting options for polling stations, per Mayor DelVecchio, “We will be prepared to hold elections with or without power from the grid.”
NO PRIMARY POWER LINES DOWN BUT RESIDENTS URGED TO TURN OFF BREAKERS
“No primary power lines are down in the City of Lambertville,” per Public Works Director, Lester Meyers. According to Meyers, the primary power lines, i.e. supply lines, are down in West Amwell. These are the lines JCP&L will concentrate on, even as the company will be also surveying Lambertville lines. Ken Rogers, Construction Official for the City of Lambertville encourages residents, “To turn off power breakers” even as power is down, as this helps prevent a power surge when JCP&L turns power back on.
2:30 p.m.: Governor Christie officially reschedules Halloween to November 5th Monday, the day before elections by Executive Order. New Jersey Municipalities with and without power are expected to comply for the safety of citizens.
Tuesday, Oct. 30
After a 4 p.m. conference call today with JCP&L, Lambertville mayor DelVecchio reported the company said that their top priority areas to address first are those, “That have hospital, police and emergency services, and then [those with] the largest groups of customers on them.” They also reassured the Mayors on the call, according to DelVecchio, that power restoration, “Is not being held up by customers east of your town, and are flooded,” referring to shore-towns that have been hardest hit by storm waters.
JCP&L is working to test and fix substations, transmission lines, and distribution circuits. Lambertville has at least two substations, and according to DelVecchio, “We don’t know if they are damaged, but we do know that they are not flooded.” Flooding complicates the repair, and power restoration.
Mayor DelVecchio said, “We just know what [JCP&L] says.” “We are doing everything we can to restore power.”
Leave a Comment