Rahway Substation Failure Causes Power Outages in Woodbridge Area

It's been a month since Hurricane Sandy plunged much of the central New Jersey area in darkness.

In some parts of Woodbridge and the surrounding area Tuesday, it felt like Hurricane Sandy all over again. That's because there was an equipment failure at the PSE&G Rahway substation, said company spokesman Annette L. Hicks. 

"Crews are on their way to assess the situation," Hicks said in an email.

There was no early indication Tuesday night when the power would be turned back on for those who lost service. Patricia Abrantes of Avenel said that the electricity went out in her home around 2 pm. The power was back on about 4 pm.

Some areas of Woodbridge Proper also lost electrical service Tuesday morning for short spurts of time.

But just when it seemed as if the problem was solved, some areas of Avenel experienced power outages again Tuesday night. The electrical problems ranged anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour. 

PSEG spokesman John Masi said that while the Rahway substation problem had been fixed, "one circuit kept blowing," and that was why some Avenel residents found themselves in the dark.

"Power should be up within an hour," Masi said Tuesday night. He said at that point, only 15 residents were affected by power loss.

Woodbridge and area homeowners gained and lost power several times after Sandy hit the area when a substation in the Sewaren section of the township experienced several power issues.

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