Woodbridge by Night: Homes Dark, Some Businesses Get Power Back

Woodbridge was one spooky place last night, but it probably would've looked fine in the horse and buggy days before the invention of the electric light.

But if you weren't in a mood for a historic tour, the township was absolutely pitch black. Aside from the occasional headlights of a passing car - travel was still restricted - or the flashing lights of a police cruiser blocking off one of the many intersections with no traffic lights, it was a total blackout. 

If you didn't know where the streets were, this would not have been the time to go exploring. Streetlights weren't working, either. You simply couldn't tell where anything was, except by memory.

There were a few spots with the electricity back on. A few houses on South Park Drive had front porch lights on, and the reassuring glow of a lamp set in a living room window.

The other side of houses 50 feet away were black as night.

PSE&G, which provides electric service for the Woodbridge area, was overwhelmed with service calls from customers complaining about the loss of power. Callers were on hold for hours.

As many as 80 percent of Woodbridge residents had their power off at one point or another - or continuously - since Hurricane Irene blew through the township, police said.

Downtown Main St. was roped off by a police car at one end, and illuminated by a still-electrified Woodbridge Town Hall, where in the police station is located. An officer in a Route 1 Quick Chek in Avenel, possibly the only convenience store in a five mile radius that was open, said they were trying to prevent looting.

"We've got no electricity at all since yesterday," said Alice, who was stocking up on soda and bottled juice drinks. "We can't get anything that needs to be refrigerated."

A black and silent NJ Transit train sat parked up on the darkened platform. Train service still hasn't been restored as of Monday morning on the North Jersey Coast spur that runs through Woodbridge.

Many business, including car dealerships, had their power restored by Sunday night, even when residential service to homes across the street wasn't yet on. 

ShopRite on Route 35 was completely lit up, but not open yet. Police tape secured the street entrance into the supermarket's parking lot while a police car with lights ablaze sat near the bank.

Up and down Amboy Ave., the only visual encumbrance against the total darkness were light-reflective traffic signs as car headlights bounced off them.  

With the street lights, house lights, and other ambient light doused, the traffic signs had no competition against the night.