NEWARK, New Jersey — Thousands of New Jersey families went to sleep Thursday night in the dark — and many woke up Friday still without power.
Fierce thunderstorms swept through the region, bringing destructive wind gusts that took down lines and left more than 15,000 utility customers without electricity as of midnight Friday.
The storms did not just knock out one neighborhood. They hit communities served by all four of the state’s major utility companies at the same time.
What Made These Storms So Dangerous
This was not a typical evening thunderstorm.
Weather forecasters say wind gusts inside some of the storm cells reached 60 to 65 mph — strong enough to snap branches and bring down power lines in minutes.
What made it worse was the weather leading up to the storms. High temperatures and heavy humidity had been building throughout the day, and that heat energy fed directly into the thunderstorm clusters, pushing them to a higher level of intensity.
In short, the air itself made the storms hit harder.
How Widespread Are the Outages
NJ.com’s Power Outage Tracker, which pulls live data from all four major utilities in the state, showed more than 15,000 customers in the dark as of midnight Friday.
That number represents homes and businesses combined.
Utility crews were working through the night to restore service, but with damage spread across multiple counties, full restoration for every affected customer could take time.
If you are one of those customers still waiting, checking your utility company’s outage map directly will give you the most accurate estimated restoration time for your specific address.
What to Do If You Are Still Without Power
Losing power during a period of heat and humidity is more than just an inconvenience — it can become a health concern, especially for elderly residents and young children.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to preserve food longer.
If you have a generator, run it outside only — never inside a garage or near a window.
Check on elderly neighbors who may not have another way to cool down or reach out for help.
Most utility companies also have a medical baseline program for customers who depend on powered medical equipment — if that applies to you or someone you know, contact your provider directly.
When Will Power Come Back
Utility crews are on the ground, but storm restoration is not instant.
Crews have to assess damage line by line and work from transmission infrastructure down to individual neighborhoods. During widespread events like this, that process can take anywhere from a few hours to more than a day depending on the severity of local damage.
Staying updated through your utility company’s official app or outage tracker is the fastest way to know when your block is back on the list.
Are you still without power this morning? Tell us your town and how long you have been out — drop it in the comments below.
