Storm Update November 5, 2012 – 1:45 pm

Below is the final update from Sussex Rural Electric, issued at 9:00 am today:
Status
As reported last night, we have reconnected all undamaged services. Today we will continue with clean up from the storm and respond to members who have repaired their damaged services and can now be reconnected.

Thank you
We want to express our thanks to our members for their patience as we worked through the destruction caused by Sandy.

We also want to thank all our employees and the crews from three Southern cooperatives; Berkeley Electric (SC), Swannee Valley Electric (FL), and Peace River Electric (FL) whose crews enabled us to work around the clock and shorten the restoration time. Also crucial to this effort were additional tree crews from Asplundh.

Finally, thanks to all our electronic subscribers and media contacts that helped us get the word out about our progress. It made a big difference in keeping people informed.

New Problems?
We ask that any member experiencing a new problem with their service please call 877.504.6463 so we can address the issue promptly.

Update #24 – 10:45 pm – Sunday, November 4:
According to the Vernon Township school district, schools will be in session Thursday and Friday due to the cancellation of the NJEA convention. Schools are closed Monday and decisions will be made day-by-day.

This message was issued at 10:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 9:30 PM tonight, all services that can be reconnected have been.

For those members who have services that were damaged and could not be repaired, please contact a licensed electrician to fix the service then advise us so we can schedule the restoration of service.

If your service is undamaged and you are without power, please call 877.504.6463 and report a new outage.

How do I tell if my service is damaged?
Most service damage occurs to overhead connections although those underground are not immune. Take a look at where our wires connect to your house. Is anything pulled away from the house? Is the pipe or large wire that goes into the box with the meter securely attached to the side of the house and the meter box? Is the meter box damaged? If any of these situations exist, you will need an electrician to repair them before we are allowed to reconnect.

Wrap Up
We want to thank our members for their patience during the restoration effort. Sandy created a different type of damage from Irene and this stretched the restoration time.

Update #23 – 6:15 pm – Sunday, November 4:
The Vernon Police have announced that all Vernon schools are closed Monday, November 5th.

Update #22 – 5:30 pm – Sunday, November 4:
This message was issued at 5:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
We made excellent progress restoring power to those members remaining without electricity. As of 5:00 PM, we have 26 members remaining without power.
Forecast
We remain optimistic that we will have these remaining members back on before the end of the day.

We regret the delay in restoring service to these remaining members and appreciate their patience in this final stage of recovery. Our crews will continue to work around the clock until all service is restored to those who can be restored.

Update #21 – 11:45 am – Sunday, November 4:
This message was issued Sunday morning at 10:30 am by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
Slow progress continued overnight as we restored power to another 21 members. This leaves a total of 107 remaining without power following Sandy.
Forecast
These remaining outages are associated with single services and services where poles need to be replaced. These are the most complex and difficult to repair and slow progress considerably. We are optimistic that these members will have power by the end of today.

Update #20 – 6:00 am – Sunday, November 4:
Isolated outages remain in Highland Lakes.

This message was issued Saturday evening at 11:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
More progress made this evening with a reduction in members out from 173 at 4:30 PM to 128 at 11:00 PM.
Forecast
The bulk of remaining outages are single services. Our crews will continue working around the clock until every member who can be restored is restored.

Important note: Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons. See the next section for how to tell if your service is damaged.

Update #19 – 5:15 pm – Saturday, November 3:
Isolated outages remain in Highland Lakes.

This message was issued today at 4:30 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
Progress has been slow and steady throughout the day. We now stand at 173 members out of power, down from the 200 reported this morning.
Forecast
The bulk of remaining outages are single services. Our crews will continue working around the clock until every member who can be restored is restored.

Important note: Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons. See the next section for how to tell if your service is damaged.

Update #18 – 9:00 am – Saturday, November 3:
Governor Christie has signed an executive order implementing odd/even gas rationing at noon on Saturday, November 3rd.

This message was received today at 9:00 am from Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
Our crews made excellent progress overnight and we now have around 200 members remaining out, down from approximately 1000 last night.
Forecast
We have a couple of small clusters of members out with the bulk of remaining outages being single services. Our crews will continue working around the clock until every member who can be restored is restored.

Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons. See the next section for how to tell if your service is damaged.

Update #17 – 1:15 pm – Friday, November 2:
This message was issued today at 1:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric.
Status
We are holding steady in terms of the number of members remaining out. As noted in the morning update, we are focused on replacing a large number of broken poles. This is a complex and lengthy process but needs to be done to restore service to affected members. So, as of 1:00 PM we still have about 1,000 members without service.
Forecast
Addressing the large number of broken poles will slow overall progress as a single pole can take as much as a day to replace. Crews will continue working around the clock. As of this update, we are still shooting for having all reconnected who can be at the end of the day. In a spirit of full disclosure, that might change as we are continuing to find more damage.

Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons.

Update #16 – 11:45 am – Friday, November 2:
Crystal Springs Resort (973.827.5996, ext. 2) has announced that local residents without power are invited to use the showers at Minerals Sports Club. Please check in with Member Services in the Minerals Lobby. Mineral Sports Club is located on Route 94 just south of Sand Hill Road.

Update #15 – 9:30 am – Friday, November 2:
This message was issued today at 8:00 am by Sussex Rural Electric.
Status
As of 8:00 AM, we had 1,014 members out of power, down from 1,064 last night. Crews continued to work throughout the night. The focus for today is replacing 25 poles that were broken. As a point of reference, only 4 poles were broken during Irene.
Forecast
Addressing the large number of broken poles will slow overall progress as a single pole can take as much as a day to replace. Crews will continue working around the clock. As of this update, we are still shooting for having all reconnected who can be at the end of the day. In a spirit of full disclosure, that might change as we are continuing to find more damage.

Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons.

Update #14 – 8:30 am – Friday, November 2:
The Vernon Police Department requests that you visit this site to report damages to your home. Once assembled, this inventory will be reported to FEMA. Completion of the form is not a claim for damages. Sussex County is one of many New Jersey counties not receiving disaster designation. However, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management continues to assess damages throughout New Jersey.

Update #13 – 6:30 pm – Thursday, November 1:
Since 10:00 pm last night Sussex Rural has restored power to over 1,500 customers. We have expressed our thanks for all of its efforts on behalf of our community.

The Clubhouse will be open until 10:00 pm this evening.

Governor Christie’s office and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs have issued a warning about home repair and charity scams.

This message was issued today at 5:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric. The entire message has been included. Please pay particular attention to the How do I tell if my service is damaged? and Critical health and safety note sections.

Status
As of 5:00 PM, we had 1,064 members out of power, down from 1,500 around Noon today. Crews are currently working across our territory.
Forecast
As mentioned earlier, progress will slow in terms of numbers reduced. We are tackling jobs with fewer members impacted. For instance, a broken pole may take all day to replace and only reduce the number of members out by one. Even with this caveat, we are still on track to have everyone who can be reconnected back on by the end of the day tomorrow.

Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons. See the next section for how to tell if your service is damaged.

If your service is undamaged and you are without power, please call 877.504.6463 and report a new outage.

Ongoing communications
Please stay tuned to our updates for information about our restoration progress. It is difficult, if not impossible, to tell when a specific individual service will be restored. Please be patient with us and leave the lines open for new outages and emergencies.

Critical health and safety note…
Above all, we want to ask you to be safe – avoid ALL downed wires. Consider them to all be live and dangerous. And, thank you in advance for your patience.

Remember, we do not have the ability to prioritize restoration of individual services. Damage to the service or to facilities feeding it can prevent us restoring power. If you need power for health reasons, be sure to seek locations that can provide it. Call 911 or the Sussex County of Emergency Management at 973.579.0380. You can also go to their website for a list of local coordinators, http://www.sussexcountysheriff.com/about/emergency_management/

Update #12 – 1:30 pm – Thursday, November 1:
This message was issued today at 1:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 12:45 PM, we had 1,500 members out of power, down from 1,837 around 8:00 AM. Crews are currently working in every part of our territory.

Please note that just because an update does not mention a specific area that doesn’t mean that we are not working there. The storm caused damage all across our system and our reporting software does not support area specific updates – at this point.

Forecast
As mentioned earlier, progress will slow in terms of numbers reduced. We are tackling jobs with fewer members attached. For instance, a broken pole may take all day to replace and reduce the number still out by one. Even with this caveat, we are still on track to have everyone who can be reconnected back on by the end of the day tomorrow.

Members with damaged services cannot be reconnected for safety reasons. See the next section for how to tell if your service is damaged.

If your service is undamaged and you are without power, please call 877.504.6463 and report a new outage.

Update #11 – 10:30 am – Thursday, November 1:
This message was issued today at 8:30 am by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 8:15 AM, we had 1,837 members out of power, down from 2,543 around 10:00 PM. Crews worked overnight again, restoring power.

Crews will be working in every part of our territory.

Forecast
With the steady progress and continued good weather, we still expect to have everyone who can be reconnected back on at the end of the day, Friday, 11/2/2012. Also, because we are down to restoring areas with smaller numbers of members, our progress will seem to slow. This is normal.

Update #10 – 6:00 am – Thursday, November 1:
ATTENTION Year-Round Customers of United Water (approximately 40 Highland Lakes residences): A BOIL WATER ADVISORY has been issued. United Water advises to boil your water for one minute for the following: drinking, cooking or baking, making ice cubes, taking medication, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, mixing baby formula or food, mixing juices or drinks, feeding pets and all other consumption. Water does not have to be boiled for the following activities: showering, washing dishes or clothes. Children and disabled individuals should have their bath supervised to ensure water in not ingested. Read the NJDEP advisory. For more information contact United Water at 800-422-0141. Private wells are not covered by this advisory.

Helpful information about filing insurance claims for property damage has been issued by Governor Christie’s office and New Jersey’s insurance commisioner.

This message was issued last night at 10:10 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 10:00 PM, we had 2,543 members out of power, down from 3,790 around 4:00 PM. We received additional crews from a Florida Cooperative at lunch time. Having these extra crews allows us to keep working around the clock while other crews rest. We continue to focus our restoration efforts in Vernon, Wantage, Highland Lakes/Barry Lakes and Lafayette/Franklin.

Forecast
We are still pursuing our objective of having all services that are ready to be reconnected back on by the end of the day, Friday, 11/2/2012.

Update #9 – 4:45 pm – Wednesday, October 31:
The Clubhouse will be open this evening until 10:00 pm.

Vernon Township schools are closed Thursday and Friday.

According to the Facebook page of the Vernon Township Police Department, Vernon will celebrate Halloween on Saturday, November 3rd.

Need a hot shower? The Vernon Police announced on their Facebook page that the Sussex County YMCA is open daily from 5:00 am to 9:30 pm for anyone still affected by power outages. You are invited to come to the Sussex County YMCA to use its shower facilities and power up your cell phones and electronic equipment. Sussex County YMCA, 15 Wits End Drive, Hamburg, NJ 07419 (973) 209-9622

The November 3rd scheduled publication of the Highland Lakes Newsette has been delayed. Publication is currently planned sometime during the week of November 5. Further delays may take place.

This message was issued at 4:00 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 12:30 PM, we had 3,790 members out of power, down from 4,200 around 12:30 PM. We received additional crews from a Florida Cooperative at lunch time. Having these extra crews allows us to keep working around the clock while other crews rest. We continue to focus our restoration efforts in Vernon, Wantage, Highland Lakes/Barry Lakes and Lafayette/Franklin.

Forecast
We are still pursuing our objective of having all services that are ready to be reconnected back on by the end of the day, Friday, 11/2/2012.

Update #8 – 12:30 pm – Wednesday, October 31:
Governor Christie has postponed Halloween celebrations in New Jersey until Monday, November 5th as a result of continued unsafe conditions.

This message was issued at 12:30 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 12:30 PM, we had 4,200 members out of power, down from 4900 around 8:30 AM. Restoration efforts continue around the clock to minimize the length of the outage. We are updating our breakdown of where the outages are clustered but cannot provide that at this time. We do not have the capability to tell a member exactly when a specific service will be restored.
Forecast
We are still pursuing our objective of having all services that are ready to be reconnected back on by the end of the day, Friday, 11/2/2012.

Report a new outage if your neighbors have power and you do not
If you find that your neighbors have power but you do not, be sure to inspect your service. If it is damaged, our crews will not reconnect. How do you tell if your service is damaged? If any part of it is pulled away from your home or if the box that houses the meter is damaged, you need to have an electrician repair it. Be sure to use licensed contractors for this work. If you service is fine, call our outage number and report it again. That number is 877.504.6463.

Report a new outage if your power has gone out again
This is also the part of the restoration process where power may come and go for some. If you experience momentary outages (a few seconds or so) there is no need to report them to us. They are usually caused by us switching parts of our system around to restore power in certain sections or allow work to be done safely. If you have had power for minutes or hours and it goes out, please report it as a new outage at 877.504.6463.

Update #7 – 9:30 am – Wednesday, October 31:
Please do not call the Club office for information about when your power will be restored – we are not able to provide that information. If you have not reported your power outage, call the Sussex Rural outage telephone at 877-504-6463.

This message was issued at 8:30 am by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 8:00 AM, we had 4,900 members out of power, down from 6,984 around 8:30 PM. Restoration efforts continue around the clock to minimize the length of the outage. Here is how the remaining outages breaks down:

· About 2,000 customers in Wantage.

· About 300 customers in Frankford/Lafayette.

· About 2,100 customers in Vernon.

· About 500 customers in Highland Lakes/Barry Lakes.

Crews will be working in all areas on a continuous basis.

Our phone lines have been repaired and the lines to the office should be open soon. Please continue to report new outages to 877.504.6463.

Update #6 – 9:45 pm – Tuesday, October 30:
Sussex Rural has let us know that work will continue through the night in its efforts to restore power. This message was issued at 8:30 pm by Sussex Rural Electric:
Status
As of 8:20 PM, we had 6,984 members out of power, down from 9,174 around 1:00 PM. Restoration efforts continue around the clock to minimize the length of the outage.

Our phone lines are still down to the office so continue to report new outages to 877.504.6463.
Forecast
While we are still working through the damage estimates, we have set an objective of having all services that are ready to be reconnected back on by the end of the day, Friday, 11/2/2012.

Report if your neighbors have power and you do not
If you find that your neighbors have power but you do not, be sure to inspect your service. If it is damaged, our crews will not reconnect. How do you tell if your service is damaged? If any part of it is pulled away from your home or if the box that houses the meter is damaged, you need to have an electrician repair it. Be sure to us licensed contractors for this work. If you service is fine, call our outage number and report it again. That number is 877.504.6463.

This is also the part of the restoration process where power may come and go for some. If you experience momentary outages (a few seconds or so) there is no need to report them to us. They are usually caused by us switching parts of our system around to restore power in certain sections or allow work to be done safely.

Critical health and safety note…
Above all, we want to ask you to be safe – avoid ALL downed wires. Consider them to all be live and dangerous. And, thank you in advance for your patience.

Remember, we do not have the ability to prioritize restoration of individual services. Damage to the service or to facilities feeding it can prevent us restoring power. If you need power for health reasons, be sure to seek locations that can provide it. Call 911 or the Sussex County of Emergency Management at 973.579.0380. You can also go to their website for a list of local coordinators, http://www.sussexcountysheriff.com/about/emergency_management/
================================================

Update #5 – 3:30 pm – Tuesday, October 30:
The Clubhouse will be open until 10 pm this evening. You are free to bring your food and prepare it in our kitchen. Please go to the shelter at the Sussex County Vocational School located on Rt. 94 in Sparta Township if you need overnight accommodations.

Update #4 – 1:30 pm – Tuesday, October 30:
Crews from Sussex Rural and other cooperatives are working feverishly to restore power throughout Highland Lakes. Areas have been brought back into service though tree damage is widespread, and many trees are hung up in wires or have dropped wire to the ground.

Crews from Highland Lakes have worked to clear access along the roads for the utility crews. Vernon DPW has joined in this effort this afternoon.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAR TREES ANYWHERE NEAR WIRES – PLEASE LEAVE THAT TO SUSSEX RURAL’S CREWS.

Power was restored to the Clubhouse at 12:45 pm. Heat and cable tv are on, and water and rest rooms available.

Vernon Township school are closed on Wednesday.

Update #3 – 1:00 pm – Monday, October 29:
Sussex Rural Electric reports no active outages as of 12:00 pm.

Projected rainfall during this storm event is three inches or less through 8:00 am Thursday.

Storm updates and local conditions are available at the Vernon Police Facebook page – a Facebook account is not necessary.

Some helpful links for storm and emergency information:

NJ211.org
NJ Office of Emergency Management
New Jersey road conditions
National Weather Service for Highland Lakes

=======================================================
Update #2 – 11:00 am – Monday, October 29:
Vernon’s schools will also be closed on Tuesday.
=======================================================
Update #1 – 7:00 pm – Sunday, October 28:
The Club’s office and the Vernon municipal building are closed on Monday due to Hurricane Sandy.

All Vernon schools are closed Monday.

Announcement from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office:
The Sussex County Vo-Tech School will be open for any Sussex County resident with sheltering needs.

The Vo-Tech school is located on Rt. 94 in Sparta Township and will be opening tonight, October 28, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Individuals utilizing the shelter are encouraged to bring their own toiletries, medications, blankets and snacks for themselves. We will have meals to provide individuals. The shelter will be domestic animal friendly, however, you will need to bring your own food for your pet and make sure your animals are leashed or in a crate.

The shelter will be open for the duration of the storm as well as after the storm to assist our county residents. The shelter will be in operation 24-hours a day staffed by the American Red Cross, the Sussex County CERT team and the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office.

Highland Lakes

Country Club and Community Association

Storm Update November 5, 2012 – 1:45 pm

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