Inspections, Repowering Should be Completed Thursday

Officials believe the electrical inspection and power restoration process in several Brick neighborhoods will be completed Thursday – or even as early as Wednesday night.

"There was a preliminary report, but they could finish up tonight," said Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis.

Township officials have criticized Jersey Central Power & Light since the weekend, when the decision was made by the utility company to begin requiring electrical inspections before different sections of the grid in flooded areas could have their power restored.

Previously, JCP&L restored other flood-damaged areas, including some sections of Brick, without inspections.

State and township inspection crews have worked together since Monday to complete the inspections, and many parts of Shore Acres and other neighboring sections have had power restored, Acropolis said.

Acropolis has been holding daily, 4 p.m. meetings with residents at Angela Hibbard Park during the power crisis. He said about 70 people came to the meeting Tuesday, down from about 250 on Monday.

"I'll be there every day until people get their power back on," he said.

Inspectors have the choice to either give the OK for electrical service to be turned back on, or pull the meter pan of a residence in order to keep it offline. When enough homes have been inspected, JCP&L turns on that part of the grid.

Acropolis said residents who had "even an inch" of water in their homes should have an inspection completed by a licensed electrical contractor in addition to the meter inspection completed by the state or township inspectors.