Molly Ayala
On July 7, 2023, a fire broke out at a substation in Wildwood, New Jersey, causing a major power outage that affected about 24,000 customers. The entire island of Wildwood was plunged into darkness, with air conditioning units down and temperatures soaring into the 90s, creating challenging conditions, especially for the elderly and those with medical issues. Cooling centers were opened in each of the three towns to provide relief from the heat. Atlantic City Electric, the utility provider, worked diligently to restore power, and by July 9, electricity was fully restored to all customers. This incident caused significant disruptions and highlighted the importance of reliable electrical infrastructure, especially during periods of extreme weather.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Power Outage | Friday, July 7, 2023 |
| Cause of Power Outage | Fire at an electrical substation |
| Location of Fire | Atlantic City Electric's Lake Avenue substation at Oak and Susquehanna avenues |
| Number of Customers Impacted | 24,367 |
| Time of Power Restoration | By 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2023 |
| Number of Customers with Power Restored by Sunday Morning | 24,000 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Power restored to 24,000 customers after 40 hours
Power has been restored to 24,000 customers in Wildwood, New Jersey, after a major outage that lasted for more than 40 hours. The blackout began on Friday afternoon when a fire broke out at the Atlantic City Electric's Lake Avenue substation, affecting about 24,000 homes and businesses. This resulted in a challenging situation, especially for the elderly and those with medical conditions, as temperatures soared into the 90s.
To address the situation, Wildwood opened cooling centres in each of its three towns to provide relief from the heat for residents and visitors. Mayor Rosenello assured the community that these centres would remain operational for as long as the power outage persisted. The North Wildwood Community Center also served as an emergency shelter and cooling centre.
Atlantic City Electric, the utility provider, worked diligently to restore power. By Friday evening, they had managed to restore electricity to approximately 15,000 to 16,000 customers, with an estimated 80% of affected customers expected to have their power back by 6:30 p.m. that day. Crews continued their efforts through the night, making repairs and installing temporary equipment to restore service for all customers.
By Sunday morning, power was fully restored to all customers in Wildwood. Atlantic City Electric acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the outage and expressed their commitment to restoring services as quickly and safely as possible. While power is now back on for all customers, officials have warned that temporary interruptions may still occur over the next few days.
Understanding the Spontaneity of Electric Potential Signs
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Cause of fire unknown
A fire at a substation in Wildwood, New Jersey, caused power outages for more than 24,000 customers on Friday afternoon. The fire occurred around noon at Atlantic City Electric's Lake Avenue substation, affecting 24,367 customers. By Friday evening, power had been restored to about 15,000 customers, with residual outages continuing into the weekend. The cause of the fire is unknown, and investigators are working to determine the spark of the fire.
Atlantic City Electric reported that the fire damaged the electrical substation, leading to the shutdown of the station and impacting electrical services to thousands of customers in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. The company stated that it was exploring options to reroute electricity to the affected areas and was working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service.
The power outage in Wildwood had significant impacts on the community. With air conditioning units down, officials recommended checking on elderly residents and those with medical conditions. Cooling centers were opened in each of the three towns to provide relief from the heat. The high temperatures also caused frozen custard to melt, and some visitors had to cut their trips short due to the power outage.
By Saturday morning, more power had been restored, and by Sunday morning, power had been fully restored to all 24,000 customers. However, officials warned that some temporary interruptions might still occur over the next few days. Atlantic City Electric crews worked tirelessly, making repairs and installing temporary equipment to restore power as quickly as possible.
While the cause of the fire remains a mystery, the impact on the community was significant. The quick work of Atlantic City Electric and the support of cooling centers helped to ease the burden on residents and visitors alike. The full restoration of power brought relief to Wildwood, and investigators continue to work on uncovering the cause of the fire to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Magnetism: Creating Magnetic Fields Without Electricity
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Cooling centres open to escape the heat
A fire at a substation in Wildwood, New Jersey, caused power outages for around 24,000 customers on Friday afternoon. With air conditioning units down and temperatures soaring into the 90s, this created a potentially dangerous situation, especially for the elderly and those with medical conditions. To provide relief, officials opened cooling centres in each of Wildwood's three towns for residents and visitors to escape the heat.
The North Wildwood Community Center, at 900 Central Ave, was designated as an emergency shelter and cooling centre. Wildwood Mayor Rosenello stated that the cooling centres would remain open for as long as the power was out, adding that they were prepared to deal with the situation for as long as necessary.
By Friday evening, power had been restored to about 15,000 customers, and by Saturday morning, more than 16,000. Atlantic City Electric, the utility provider, continued to work through the night to restore power to all customers, installing temporary equipment where needed. They stated that they understood how disruptive the outage was and were working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service.
By Sunday morning, power had been fully restored to all 24,000 customers. Atlantic City Electric announced that service had been restored for all customers impacted by the fire at their Lake Avenue substation. However, they also noted that some temporary interruptions may still occur over the next several days as residual effects of the outage.
Are Old Telephone Jacks Electrified?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Residual outages continue into the weekend
A fire at a substation in Wildwood, New Jersey, caused power outages for about 24,000 customers on Friday afternoon. The fire occurred at Atlantic City Electric's Lake Avenue substation, affecting residents and businesses in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. With air conditioning units down, officials recommended checking on elderly neighbours and family members and opened cooling centres in each of the three towns.
By Friday evening, power had been restored to about 15,000 customers, and by Saturday morning, more than 16,000. Atlantic City Electric crews worked through the night to restore power, and by Saturday morning, they expected to have restored power to 80% of affected customers by 6:30 p.m. that day. The company stated that power would be fully restored by 9 p.m. that evening.
However, residual outages were likely to continue into the weekend. On Sunday morning, officials announced that power had been fully restored to all customers. Still, they warned that some temporary interruptions might still affect residents and visitors to the shore over the next several days.
The cause of the fire at the substation was unknown and under investigation. The fire disrupted many activities in Wildwood, including amusement rides and traffic lights, and caused some visitors to leave early.
Hazardous Electric Arc Furnace Dust: What You Need to Know
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Power cut impacted 24,000 customers
A fire at an electrical substation in Wildwood, New Jersey, caused a power outage affecting 24,367 customers on Friday afternoon. The fire occurred around noon at Atlantic City Electric's Lake Avenue substation, according to the fire department. As a result, the company shut down the station, impacting electrical services to about 24,000 customers in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
Atlantic City Electric reported that more than 24,000 homes lost power, and about 15,000 could have service restored soon, with some outages possibly continuing into the weekend. The utility provider's outage map showed that some electricity had been restored in Wildwood late Friday afternoon, with the number of impacted customers down to 22,403.
The power outage came as temperatures soared into the 90s, creating potentially dangerous and inescapable heat, especially for the elderly, those with medical conditions, and those without access to cooling centres. Wildwood opened cooling centres in each of its three towns to provide relief to residents and visitors. Mayor Rosenello stated that the centres would remain open for as long as the power outage persisted.
By Sunday morning, power had been fully restored to all 24,000 customers. Atlantic City Electric released an update stating, "Atlantic City Electric has restored electric service for all customers who were impacted by the fire at our Lake Avenue substation. Service for all customers was restored at 4:24 a.m. today." However, they also mentioned that some temporary interruptions might still occur over the next few days.
Smart Lights: Energy Saving When Switched Off?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, power was restored to Wildwood on Sunday morning, 42 hours after a substation fire cut off electricity to the entire island.
The power outage was caused by a fire at a substation on Lake Avenue.
The fire caused more than 24,000 homes and businesses to lose power, impacting around 24,000 customers.
Yes, officials stated that some temporary interruptions may still affect residents and visitors to the shore.
![Austin Powers Triple Feature (International Man of Mystery / The Spy Who Shagged Me / Goldmember) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91YNHjASr0L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
