Community Corner

Tens of Thousands Still Without Power in Ocean as Flooding Continues

High tides still drowning streets in Toms River; some residents may not have electricity for days

More than 65,000 households in Ocean County are still without power 24 hours after Irene passed through the area, and the flooding she left in her wake continues to be a problem for some communities.

Jersey Central Power & Light spokesman Ron Morano said it could be days before work crews restore electricity to all customers, hundreds of thousands of whom lost power during the storm.  

In Toms River, outages appeared to increase overnight. This morning, 17,000 customers remain without electricity, according to the company's outage map – up from just more than 15,000 Sunday afternoon. Toms River police headquarters still has no power.

Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Brick, more than 9,000 homes are still powerless. Berkeley, Manchester and Lacey each have more than 4,000 JCP&L customers without electricity.

In Barnegat and Waretown, the number of homes without power has dropped into the hundreds as crews repair downed lines.

Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tidal flooding continues to be an issue in Toms River's waterfront areas, as rivers and back bays spill over bulkheads at high tide and drown neighborhood streets. About 500 people remain in three shelters there.

Authorities reopened the Garden State Parkway this morning between Brick and Wall Township after closing the southbound stretch between Exit 91 and Exit 98. Police reported the closure was due to damage to the roadway, but details were not available.


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