Central Jersey In Dark: Snow Causes Downed Wires, Other Problems

Many residents were in the dark Wednesday after a snow and rain storm left thousands without power in Central Jersey.

PSE&G reported that Princeton has 2,106 outages while Lawrence Township had 5,165.

In Princeton, emergency staff met at 3 p.m. to assess the impacts of the latest weather system. All but 7 streets out of the 30 that had tree blockages on them have been cleared up.

There were however over 43 other areas in town that have either just wires down or we have trees and wires commingled together. PSE&G continues to devote manpower in getting power back on in the various areas of town. 

PSE&G did expect that a majority of the properties will regain power later Wednesday with the remainder getting power back Thursday.

If residents needed a warming station in Princeton and/or a place to charge electronics we will continue to utilize the library until 9 p.m. and then Witherspoon Hall throughout the night. Residents were asked to enter Witherspoon Hall through the police department entrance on Valley Road side.

McCaffrey's is open during the normal business hours and is available as a warming center. 

Residents should call PSE&G to verify if their properties are without power. They can be reached at 1-800-436-7734. 

In Princeton, there were plans to illuminate two intersections with portable lighting systems. DOT is committed to repairing two traffic signals one is currently being worked on with the other to be done when PSE&G completes some needed electric work. 

Littlebrook and Riverside Schools still are on reduced power. The district was to be making a decision as to the status of school Thursday. Their decision will be based upon the progress made by PSE&G and a review of the impact that the downed wires has on bus routes.