Barrier Island Communities May Wait More than Week for Power

Barrier island communities may have to wait more than a week to see power restored, but some 90% of mainland homes will likely be restored by midnight on Sunday, Nov. 4, according to officials with Atlantic City Electric.

At the peak of the Hurricane Sandy, more than 220,000 customers lost power, and as of this morning, about half of those were back on line, according to a statement from the company.

Officials noted that damage assessments in the barrier island communities continue and are expected to be completed today, but that restoring electric service to these communities "may require more than a week."

The remaining outages are largely due to heavy l

Company officials echoed sentiments from local law enforcement officials advice to stay away from downed wires, which are visible throughout Ocean County. Company officials also noted to avoid crews working in the street, and following manufactuers' instructions if using a portable generator.

Atlantic City Electric mobilized more than 1,200 service personnel including company teams and crews from Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Florida, New Mexico, South Carolina, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana, among many others.  

Through its parent company, Pepco Holdings, Inc., (PHI), Atlantic City Electric continues to work to bring in additional crews through the utility mutual assistance process.   

Customers are asked to report outages at www.atlanticcityelectric.com or by calling 1-800-833-7476 and following the prompts on the automated system.  If reporting an emergency or another life-threatening situation such as downed wires, customers should immediately call 1-800-833-7476 and follow the appropriate prompts.