NEWARK, New Jersey — Tens of thousands of New Jersey residents woke up Sunday still without power — and the weather is not done with them yet.
Public Service Electric & Gas restored electricity to 275,000 customers after a brutal stretch of back-to-back storms. But as of Sunday afternoon, around 65,000 customers across the state remained in the dark.
The Storm Left a Trail of Destruction
Severe thunderstorms tore through New Jersey Friday night with wind gusts reaching 80 mph.
Trees snapped. Power lines went down across the state.
PSE&G crews were left with 240 utility poles and 255 transformers to replace or repair. Of the 70,000 customers who lost power during July 4 storms, about 55,000 have been restored so far.
More Storms Are Heading In
The National Weather Service has placed 17 counties under a flood watch starting Sunday afternoon.
Thunderstorms could bring rainfall of up to 2 inches per hour.
“Damaging wind gusts may result in downed trees and wires leading to power outages,” the weather service warned.
Crews Are Working Around the Clock
PSE&G is bringing in out-of-state crews to speed up repairs.
“Every available crew is working as safely and quickly as possible,” said Paul Toscarelli, PSE&G electric operations vice president.
The utility is prioritizing customers hit by last week’s heatwave and the July 3 storm first.
Governor Faces Political Heat
State Republican officials slammed Gov. Mikie Sherrill over the weekend, accusing her of going missing during the crisis.
“The honeymoon is over, Governor. Our residents need a real emergency response plan,” the state GOP posted on X.
Sherrill’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Stay safe: Keep at least 30 feet from downed power lines. Report them by calling PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG or dial 911 for immediate danger.
Are you still without power in New Jersey? Tell us your town and how long you have been waiting — drop it in the comments.
