Tropical Storm Leslie on a Track Up the Atlantic

The strengthening system could send swells toward the Jersey Shore next week.

Tropical Storm Leslie continues to gain strength and move northward, and the storm could become the first hurricane of the season felt by the Jersey Shore. The projected track of the storm comes nowhere near the East Coast, but there's a good chance that the New Jersey coast will see increased surf from the distant storm by the middle or end of the week. Leslie's sustained winds were 60 mph on Sunday, but the National Hurricane Center predicts that the storm will become a hurricane (sustained winds of at least 74 mph) within three or four days. The storm is moving on a path north toward Bermuda, and forecasters predict it will remain over the open water of the Atlantic Ocean. But since the tropical system is newly formed, the National …

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One Year Later: Shore Lifeguards, Residents, Business Owners Reflect on Irene

Irene made some residents lives 'miserable'

One year ago Sunday, Point Pleasant Beach resident David Nadle watched as the waves pounded over the boardwalk near Risden's Beach. Hurricane Irene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm, hung off the coast, and was about to make for a very "miserable" few days for Nadle. "We lost power for six days,"  he recalled, sitting Sunday on the same Risden's Beach he visited last year. He said the wind and waves that were along the beach today, which forced lifeguards to limit swimming to those areas marked off with yellow flags, were "nothing" compared to those seen with Irene. Even though his neighborhood was not evacuated, Nadle said he had to leave home until the electrical problems were remedied. He added even though he has lived in this …

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Bride Reflects on Wedding Expedited by Hurricane Irene as 'Perfect'

The couple will have been happily married for one year Sunday.

One year ago Sunday, then-Jessy Phifer walked down the isle a little earlier than she had planned. Hurricane Irene had gotten to just about everything. Stores were shutting down, the parkway was closed off, communities were evacuating and Phifer's wedding was canceled. “The day of our wedding was crazy,” now-Jessy Phifer Cannon said. “We were supposed to have our rehearsal that day.” Phifer, 30, originally from Lacey Township and her husband Shaun Cannon, 31, a native of Florida, were set for their wedding on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at the United Methodist Church on Lacey Road. The chaos began two days prior to the planned wedding date, when Phifer was notified by the reception venue Bayfront in Waretown that there had been a power surge…

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IRENE, 1 YEAR LATER: Storm Prompts JCP&L to Improve Outage Reporting System

Residents can now report home and street light outages on website

After Irene was finally done flooding roads and knocking out power a year ago, it pushed Jersey Central Power & Light to make it easier for residents to report outages. The company now allows customers to report home and street light outages at its 24/7 Power Center on the company website, which can also be accessed through smart phones when outages leave residents without computer access, said Pete Johner, area manager for JCP&L customer and community relations in Central New Jersey. "After Irene, there were a lot of issues with communication with this company," Johner said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "So we've made a lot of communication changes. We enhanced the website, we have toll-free phone numbers in an electronic system …

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Local Mayors Support North Jersey Towns' Movement to Dump JCP&L

Dempsey and Doherty say company cares more about profits than customers

As two northern New Jersey municipalities are asking the state for permission to switch from Jersey Central Power & Light to another electricity provider, the mayors of Manasquan and Belmar, whose residents are JCP&L customers, said they wished they could do the same. Last week, Robbinsville and Warren Township filed requests to the state Board of Public Utilities for permission to switch to Public Service Electric & Gas, while 14 other towns are also considering the same move, the Star Ledger reported Dec. 2. But both municipalities border the PSE&G grid and a portion of Robbinsville is already powered by the company, while Manasquan and Belmar are miles away. Both Manasquan Mayor George Dempsey and his Belmar counterpart Matthew Doherty …

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Hurricane Irene

FEMA Extends Proof of Loss Deadline for Irene

Deadline for filing proof of loss claims extended to Jan. 23, 2012.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a 60-day extension for the proof of loss deadline for flood victims of Hurricane Irene from Nov. 23, 2011 to Jan. 23, 2012 under the National Flood Insurance Program. The extension goes into effect for flood policyholders in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia with dates of loss between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4. FEMA can be contacted toll-free at 888-379-9531. Lines are open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

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Hurricane Irene

FEMA Assistance Extended for Irene Damage

Deadline extended to Nov. 30.

At the request of the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending the registration deadline for renters, homeowners and business owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Irene. Those affected by the storm and flooding now have until Nov. 30 to register for disaster assistance. “We've extended the registration deadline for people who–for whatever reason–have not had the opportunity to register for assistance,” said William L. Vogel, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. “The goal is to ensure all eligible Irene survivors have the chance to seek assistance.” There are three ways to register: go to www.disasterassistance.gov, m.fema.gov or call FEMA toll-free, 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Those with access or functional needs …

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State Hires Special Consultant to Probe Utilities' Response to Hurricane Irene

Of special interest: how utilities planned, restored power, and communicated with local officials and customers.

By Tom Johnson of NJSpotlight.com The state is broadening its investigation into how New Jersey's four electric utilities handled events in the wake of Hurricane Irene, a storm that left 1.8 million people without power at one point or another. Acting on a recommendation from staff, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) authorized the hiring of a special consultant to analyze how the utilities planned, executed restoration efforts, and communicated with local officials and their customers during the days following the storm -- which has been described by one official as the worst weather-related event for electric utilities in the state's history. The decision to retain a consultant comes even before the agency has concluded a series of …

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Frustration Unloaded onto BPU About JCP&L Storm Response

Monmouth County residents and elected public officials verbalized their exasperation with JCP&L at the Board Public Utilities open public forum.

Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) was brought under scrutiny yesterday at the state Board of Public Utilities Hearing at Monmouth County Library headquarters in Manalapan. JCP&L customers from throughout the area came out to criticize the power company’s job after Hurricane Irene struck New Jersey in late August. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities held the hearing, with a second hearing scheduled for today in Morris Plains, to gather evidence against the company in an attempt to rectify why JCP&L allegedly performed so poorly after the hurricane. Board of Public Utilities President Lee A. Solomon mediated the open forum, alongside BPU Commisioners Nicholas Asselta, Jeanne Fox, and Joseph Fiordaliso. The Board is holding similar …

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