An Updated Message from Mayor Carey—August 10
Posted: August 10, 2020
Dear Randolph Residents,
JCP&L is reporting that power has been restored to all but 7 Randolph residents; those still without power should be restored later today. This is great news!
On Tuesday, approximately 9400 or 88% of all households in Randolph lost power when Tropical Storm Isaias hit our area. About 75% of these households had power restored by Friday evening and 99% were restored by Sunday morning. For many, it was a frustrating and difficult time. While I am very happy to have power back on, there are many aspects of JCP&L’s response to the storm that must be reviewed and addressed.
During the immediate crisis, we were in regular communication with JCP&L. Those discussions were primarily focused on the emergency and getting power restored to residents as quickly as possible. However, now that the immediate crisis is over, JCP&L will be conducting a thorough review and analysis of their response to the storm.
I have talked to many residents who share my concerns regarding JCP&L’s preparation for and in response to Tropical Storm Isaias and agree that 6 days without power is unacceptable. In the next few weeks, I will be participating in meetings being scheduled by JCP&L for an “after-storm review” with mayors and township officials from towns most affected by the storm to discuss JCP&L’s response, areas for improvement and preemptive strategies. Among the topics for discussion are:
- Removal of trees close to power lines
- Placement of power lines underground
- Improved planning and preparedness for forecasted storms
- Getting out-of-area crews on site faster
- Better coordination of on-site recovery efforts, triaging, prioritization
- Rapid and accurate dissemination of information to customers
- Compensation for customers who lost refrigerated food and medicine and incurred other expenses
Our goal is to provide constructive feedback to JCP&L so they can be better prepared for the next storm.
Thank you for your patience over the past week.
Mayor Chris Carey