Utility Crews Work To Restore Power In Elizabeth
ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Crews from PSE&G responded to the site of a toppled power line pole in Elizabeth, New Jersey overnight Sunday.
"I have a tree that brought down the power lines which caused this pole behind us to break and snap in three spots. We're bringing crews out here now to repair both locations," PSE&G supervisor Egon Bierman told CBS 2's Derricke Dennis.
Police initially thought oversaturation on the pole caused it to fall. The incident left nearly 20 homes in Elizabeth without power.
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Bierman said the toppled pole and snapped wires lying in the street, along with heavy rains and gusting winds from Hurricane Irene, present a danger.
"It's very dangerous for the public, but for professionals that we are, we know how to handle these situations. The only thing we have to contend with right now is the weather, with the high winds and the heavy rain. That's going to slow us down," he said.
Asked if the crews can restring the wires despite the inclement weather, Bierman answered "Absolutely, yes, it's just going to take time, but that's what we're here for."
The supervisor estimates the repair work will take about five hours, because in one location the crews have to replace the pole, and at the second, crews have to cut and remove the toppled tree.
"What I'm doing here, all our other locations, we're doing the same thing. We're staffed with people around the clock. We have people standing by, waiting to go out and take care of these issues. That's what we're all doing," Bierman said.
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