Gloucester City: My Experience with the Power Blackout
Monday, March 17, 2008
By Albert Countryman Jr.
Power was knocked out for 16 hours in a large portion of Gloucester City after a viscous rain and wind storm around 6 p.m. Saturday night ten days ago.
The lights finally came on again around 10 a.m. Sunday morning in an area bounded by the railroad tracks, Monmouth Street, Johnson Boulevard to Klemm Avenue to Route 130, and the Brooklawn Borough border.
Residents had to make do with candles, no heat in many cases, and could not even go to WaWa on Market Street, as it closed after the power outage.
Personally, I was driving to a surprise birthday party at 7 p.m. Saturday when I made a left onto Johnson Boulevard from Nicholson Road. It was very dark, and I double checked to make sure I had turned on my headlights.
Then, as I turned onto Baynes Avenue and approached Market Street, the streetlight was out. Patiently, I waited for the traffic to go by before crossing over by Cold Springs School. It was very eerie, and a large tree had fallen across the road.
The report from PSE&G was that by Sunday evening the power was back on for some 180,000 homes in South Jersey. At that time, some 12,000 customers were still without power.
As for the party, everyone enjoyed the candlelight illuminating a beautiful home full of family and friends.