Sunday, April 28, 2013
Insurance companies blame 2011's Tropical Storm Irene, Halloween nor'easter — not Sandy — for highest in nation auto rate increase.
New Jersey motorists, who currently pay among the highest rates for auto insurance now, are going to have to dig a bit deeper into their wallets to pay for increases in auto insurance, according to published report Sunday. Insurers and state regulators are saying Hurricane Sandy, which devastated portions of the state including the Jersey Shore, is not the reason for state approving rate increases for 26 insurers thus far in 2013, according to a NorthJersey.com report. Instead, officials blame the rate increases on losses related to Tropical Storm Irene and the Halloween nor’easter from two years ago, medical costs that continue to rise, reinsurance expenses and dim forecasts of investment income, the report said. Allstate, New Jersey …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
JCP&L instituted new communications, repair plans after last year's major storms—will it be enough?
Two months after New Jersey residents recovered from flooding and damage caused by 2011's Hurricane Irene, the area was hit with a severe winter storm. The storm's snowfall piled more than a foot deep in many areas, and the heavy, wet precipitation snapped tree limbs and utility poles, causing massive power outages that in some cases took a week to repair. And on the anniversary of that storm, New Jersey is facing a potentially more dangerous storm: Hurricane Sandy, which has already claimed lives in the Carribean and is currently forecast to reach the area Monday morning—just in time to collide with a possible winter storm. Keeping a close eye on the storms are meteorologists with JCP&L, which says employees have already been put on alert…
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Recently-released state Board of Public Utilities report charges FirstEnergy affiliate with being more concerned with image during Irene.
JCP&L, since Hurricane Irene in August 2011, has said it has committed a lot of money and resources toward improving not only how the utility communicates with its customers, but also how it runs its business. The state Board of Public Utilities, however, handed down a verdict in a recent report that states the FirstEnergy affiliate first spent more energy trying to save face, according to a NJBIZ.com article. The article notes the BPU report cites JCP&L's initial two Irene press releases from Aug. 28 and Aug. 25, 2011, the latter three days before the storm actually hit New Jersey. JCP&L "gave no indication that restoration could take several days or longer. Advice to customers appeared to have secondary importance," according to the BPU …
Monday, August 27, 2012
Officials brought in the Honeywell Alert system after storm hit township last August.
- POLICE & FIRE
- Sue Toth
-
Monday, August 27, 2012
After the devastation that was Hurricane Irene one year ago in Jefferson, including closed roads, power outages and a dam break that caused a temporary evacuation for some residents, township officials decided that an improved communication system was needed. And so came the Honeywell Alert system to Jefferson Township. The system was up and running in early March of this year, and so far 1,526 residents and businesses have signed up, according to Ed Mangold, deputy coordinator of the township’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). “Each time we use it we get more signing up as word is spreading how the system is working. We are receiving positive feedback about it,” Mangold said. The township uses the system to spread the word about any …
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Nearly a year later, a devastating storm still remains at the front of our minds.
- SUMMER
-
Sunday, August 5, 2012
On Aug. 28, 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall in New Jersey, including Jefferson Township, causing floods not seen in more than 100 years according to some locals. We were there, as were you, dealing with road closures, extended power outages and damaged homes. It was a historic moment, to say the least. Now that we're just a few weeks from the one-year anniversary, let's relive that historic time—in photos, not actions—by sharing our photos with the neighborhood. Just click the "Upload Photos and Videos" button in this post, and you'll be on your way. We'll be able to share your media with the rest of our readers as we look back on Hurricane Irene at the end of August. As always, thanks for participating.
Monday, March 5, 2012
More payments are coming to New Jersey but officials need to work toward more permanent solutions.
It’s been six months since two torrential summer storms caused widespread flooding in North Jersey, and the costs keep rising. Last week, New Jersey's U.S. senators announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was giving grants of $21 million to elevate houses and to buy out homes hit especially hard by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee last year. Parsippany would see the lion’s share of that—$7.2 million, both for voluntary buyouts and to raise homes above the path of flood waters. Denville is getting $2 million. Pompton Lakes is receiving $2.2 million for buyouts. According to U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, state and local governments are going to kick in an additional $7 million. This is just the latest, and likely not the last, in …
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Utility company serves 13 counties in New Jersey.
Jersey Central Power & Light announced a plan to invest $200 million in 2012 on projects the utility company said are "designed to improve service reliability and help meet the increasing demand for electricity in northern and central New Jersey." Donald Lynch, president of JCP&L, said Tuesday morning the investment includes the completion of several new substations, including in Andover Township in Sussex County, and in Tewksbury in Hunterdon County, as well as a $2 million investment to upgrade more than 40 distribution circuits within JCP&L's New Jersey service area, which includes 236 municipalities. "The substantial investments we plan to make this year and in the future are part of JCP&L’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of …
Monday, December 19, 2011
State utilities board plans to hire a consultant to recommend improvements
Last week, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ first report on the biggest power outage of the year confirmed what many in the Morris County area already knew: Compared to the state’s other utilities, JCP&L did a lousy job. Issued last Wednesday, the preliminary report gives initial recommendations for changes in procedures based on power companies’ responses to Tropical Storm Irene—the National Weather Service now says it was not a hurricane when it hit New Jersey. It also began to place blame for power outages that lasted for more than a week not once, but twice, in roughly two months, the second being the late October snowstorm. “While all of the utilities experienced challenges during these severe weather events, it was apparent …
Monday, November 28, 2011
Deadline for filing proof of loss claims extended to Jan. 23, 2012
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced a 60-day extension for the proof of loss deadline for flood victims of Hurricane Irene from Nov. 23 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.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
In the wake of Hurricane Irene, lots of you helped one another out.
A lot of folks in Jefferson Township had a very difficult time last week in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Power outages, downed trees and floods made for a rough week for many. But then there were those who were a little more fortunate, and were able to help out those in need. There were several of those kind people. And a Jefferson Patch reader, Gina Riso, came up with the great idea of a story to thank all those who could help out during the storm. So we put the call out, and several of you answered. Here are some of those “thank yous.” If you have one you’d like to add, please feel free to do it in the comment section below. Gina Riso: I want to tell you we have lived on Woodlawn Terrace for five years and never really met any of our …
Peggy Davison
1:17 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013
Thanks for the link Chris! After reading the article, I too am confused as to why our rates are so high, and rising. It simply does not make any sense! more ›