New Jersey utility companies restored power to 15,000 more customers between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday, but that still left more than 30,000 in the dark after a series of storms over the holiday weekend.
Some have been out of power since Friday - a toll that adds up.
“We stayed at a hotel, that was another $700 for four of us," said Mary Ann Ondish, of Ocean Grove. "And then my dog has to go to a dog sitter. That’s $50 a day.”
JCP&L crews say recovery is underway. But estimates online show it could take as long as 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night before power is fully restored.
“On Friday, we heard 11 p.m. the next night," said Alex Troncoso, of Ocean Grove. "That day came and went. Then we heard 11 p.m. the next night - that day came and went.”
“It’s now Monday evening and I still don’t have power," said Ondish. "So, I’m really annoyed that we were deceived.”
“To be without lights for this long and as hot as it has been the last few days, we completely understand your frustration," said JCP&L spokesperson Chris Hoenig, in a statement to customers. "We're not stopping, we're going to keep going until we get to you and every last customer to get those lights back on.”
News 12 was live at Stokes Street in Freehold, where the power lines were stretched out across the road. The power crews are working 16-hour shifts and there are hundreds of contractors from all over the East Coast to help. That includes a team from Alabama.