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 …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
What causes them, how they're measured, the worst in recent memory, how to prepare, and more.
Here is a primer on hurricanes, including interesting hurricane facts, an explanation of the Saffir-Simpson scale, descriptions of some of the most devastating hurricanes in recent history, and a guide to how you and your family should prepare in case of a hurricane. What IS a hurricane? A hurricane is a storm with sustained wind speed of at least 74 miles per hour. A tropical storm has wind speeds of 39 to 73 mph. A tropical depression is a storm with a wind speed of 38 mph. The anatomy of a hurricane To have a hurricane, you have to have warm water; this is why hurricanes only happen in the summer. Hurricanes are started by tropical depressions over water that’s at least 80 degrees. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
JCP&L instituted new communications, repair plans after last year's major storms—will it be enough?
Two months after Central 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 snow snapped tree limbs and utility poles, causing a massive power outage that 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, 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 in case the storm …
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 …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
After last year's storms, electrical service companies are being told to provide better communications, response.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities released a report Wednesday detailing its findings from public hearings of power companies' failures following the October nor'easter and Tropical Storm Irene last year that left millions without electrical service for days. The report—Performance Review of EDCs in 2011 Major Storms—included recommendations to prevent a repeat of the companies' problems. The board had already singled out Jersey Central Power & Light in a preliminary report made in December requiring the company institute a communications plan developed by the BPU staff. Additional recommendations include power companies offering more detailed tracking of outages caused by trees, as well as more detailed outage reports for customers…
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
On Aug. 27, 2011, the downgraded storm hit New Jersey and left its mark.
By the time Hurricane Irene was approaching New Jersey, what had once been a Category 1 hurricane had already been downgraded to a tropical storm. While residents took the forecast in stride before the storm, but forecasters still warned residents to expect a storm with high winds and lots of rain—and the warning proved precient: the storm produced a torrential rain that caused flooding throughout the area, while high winds toppled trees and snapped limbs—resulting in broken power lines and a massive power outage that took nearly a week to resolve. Warren Emergency Management Coordinator Jane Asch said it was the resulting power outage that proved most surprising to local officials. "That was kind of surprising," she said. Township …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Residents and officials question company's plans after 2011 storms.
Two representatives of JCP&L at the Warren Township Committee meeting Thursday may have hoped to dispel any lingering anger residents have over the loss of power last year after Hurricane Irene and the October snowstorm. But if that was the case, then resident Doug Reeder let them know they have more work ahead of them. "JCP&L isn't taking this very seriously," Reeder said, after JCP&L area manager Stan Prater outlined the company's plans to deal with future storms and spend about $200,000 trimming trees in Warren this year. "I don't think the power company understands what happened in Warren—it was horrible." Reeder challenged Prater and External Vice President Mark Jones on the company's spending on line maintenance, particularly …
40.61916
-74.490836
Warren Township Municipal Complex Annex
44 Mountain Blvd, Warren, NJ
/articles/jcp-l-officials-find-lingering-anger-at-committee-meeting
758142
/locations/7297336
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Company plans to spend $200 million this year to improve service in Northern and Central New Jersey.
After two devastating power outages in the fall, JCP&L announced plans for upgrading wires, connections and systems across Northern and Central New Jersey in hopes of preventing further problems. According to a press release issued this morning (Feb. 28), the company will spend $200 million this year and more in coming years "on projects designed to improve service reliability and help meet the increasing demand for electricity" in the area. The company come under blistering pressure from customers and government officials after September's Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm, both of which left thousands of Warren residents without electrical power for as long as five days after the storms. The work include replacing aging …
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Experts could help explain benefits for which homeowners may qualify.
Navigating homeowner insurance policies isn't always easy, and in the coming weeks, Warren residents may have a chance to consult with experts on what benefits they may be due from the storms in August and October. According to Townshop Committeeman Vic Sordillo, the township Office of Emergency Management is working on organizing a workshop for homeowners to discuss what provisions their insurance policies may offer. The session is planned for sometime in the first quarter of 2012. "There's a tremendous demand for that," Sordillo said at the Dec. 8 Township Committee meeting. "The standard homeowner's policy is very misunderstood." Sordillo, who works for Warren-based Chubb Insurance, noted the township "has residents with expertise in …
40.61916
-74.490836
Warren Township Municipal Complex Annex
44 Mountain Blvd, Warren, NJ
/articles/township-planning-insurance-workshop-for-storm-affected-residents
758142
/locations/6091924
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 …
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 ›