Wires Down: Police Urge Drivers to Stay Off Roads

Police are urging residents to stay off roads as Hurricane Sandy's high winds have downed electrical wires throughout Manchester and Lakehurst.

"There are extensive wires down everywhere and you may not be able to see them until your car is caught up in them," said Chief of Police Brian Klimakowski Monday night. "Please stay off the roads."

Lakehurst Police Chief Eric Higgins said that wires are down throughout the borough and requested that residents do not venture outside until repairs are made.

"Please stay inside your homes. These are live wires that will pose a threat even after the storm has passed," he said. "Please do not approach these live wires."

Over 17,000 JCP&L customers lost power in Manchester and Lakehurst Monday night as Sandy made landfall.

All day Monday, police and emergency crews have responded to calls for downed electrical wires, transformer fires and fallen trees — including some that have landed on houses, according to Klimakowski.

"It's been hectic," he said, but so far, flood-prone areas in Cedar Glen and the Surf and Stream campground have not overflowed.

Just after midnight Tuesday, emergency responders in Lakehurst have responded to three transformer fires and "numerous" reports of downed trees and wires, Higgins said. In one instance, a live wire fell on a wooden fence, causing a fire that was extinguished by the borough's fire company.

It remains unclear how long it will take JCP&L crews to repairs the fallen wires, since weather conditions must be safe enough for them to work. Anyone who sees a downed wire is asked not to approach it and to call Lakehurst police at 732-657-7811 or Manchester police at 732-657-6111.

The center powerful storm, which weather forecasters say hit Atantic City around 8 p.m., about five miles east of Galloway Township and 10 miles north of Atlantic City, knocked out power to over 243,000 Ocean County JCP&L customers in Ocean County.

Shortly after Sandy made landfall, the utility reported that 16,500 of its 25,507 customers in Manchester and 656 of its 1,257 Lakehurst subscribers were without electricity.

Manchester Patch readers reported power losses on multiple streets in Pine Lake Park beginning Monday afternoon. Some in Whiting reported still have power Monday night.

In Lakehurst, residents have been posting to the borough's fire company Facebook page with updates. Cedar, Oak and Maple Street residents report having power knocked out. One resident reported that a transformer exploded on Pine Street.