(NEWARK, N.J. – September 14, 2021) The last few weeks have included painful examples of the increased severity of storms that strike New Jersey. During National Preparedness Month this September, PSE&G encourages its customers to take the necessary steps to safeguard their families, homes and businesses. Emergencies can happen at any time, and preparing ahead of time helps keep everyone safe. PSE&G reminds customers to “Prepare to Protect” yourself and those around you.  

“Safety is and has always been our top priority for our customers and employees,” said Paul Toscarelli, director, emergency preparedness. “To help spread the word about the importance of being prepared, PSE&G partners with groups like Sesame Workshop. Taking the time to prepare and having a plan limits the negative impact of an emergency. Prepare and stay aware.”

PSE&G’s ongoing system improvements and enhancements to the grid help provide excellent service to our customers. PSE&G prepares year-round for extreme weather to maintain reliability, as we are powering progress.

PSE&G infrastructure investments are delivering benefits for our customers, making our distribution systems more resilient to increasingly severe storms. Tropical Depression Ida brought considerable devastation to New Jersey – however, the impacts would have been much worse without those investments.

Hardening New Jersey’s electric and natural gas networks against extreme weather events is a work in progress. We have made significant headway during the past decade, but there is still much work to be done to protect our customers and our energy infrastructure against the impacts of climate change.

Here’s how customers can prepare for a severe storm or other emergency:

• Ensure you have a battery-powered radio and fresh batteries.  
• Check your supply of flashlights, blankets, nonperishable food and bottled water.
• Create an emergency communications plan.
• Develop an evacuation plan.
• Charge your cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
• Make sure to have cash available. Banks may be closed or inaccessible after a storm.
• Fill up your vehicle’s fuel tank.
• Bring in unsecured objects and furniture from patios and balconies.
• Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G Customer Service: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734).
• Discuss storm and lightning safety with your family. Visit https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety for safety tips.
• Follow PSE&G on Facebook and Twitter for updates before, during and after the storm.
• Be aware that downed wires always should be considered “live.” Stay at least 30 feet away from downed lines, and don’t go near the pole or anything touching the line. Immediately contact PSE&G, at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) via mobile app or our website, to report downed wires and dial 911 if an immediate hazard exists.
• To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline-powered generators in a garage or any other enclosed space.
• If you are on life-sustaining medical equipment, ensure that you alert PSE&G in advance and notify your local police and fire departments. For more information, visit www.pseg.com/life.

Stay connected:

• Download the PSE&G mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
• Register for MyAlerts to receive text notifications at pseg.com/outagecenter.
• Report an outage and receive status updates by texting OUT to 4PSEG (47734). You can also report your outage through our app, website at pseg.com/myaccount or with your voice using the Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant ⁱ app on your smartphone. 
• Follow PSE&G on PSEG on Facebook and Twitter @PSEGdelivers for updates before, during and after the storm.
• Visit PSE&G’s Outage Map for the latest in outage info, restoration times and crew locations across New Jersey at pseg.com/outagecenter.  
• To report an outage by phone, call PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) or use our web chat feature at pseg.com/myaccount.

For more information about National Preparedness Month and what to do in an emergency, visit https://www.ready.gov/september.  

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PSE&G