New Jersey residents are scrambling as violent thunderstorms tore through the state Monday afternoon and evening, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without electricity — and forecasters say the danger is far from over.
More than 7,600 customers were without power by 8:25 p.m. Monday, with outages scattered across multiple counties. Utility crews are racing to respond, but the ongoing storm activity is making restoration efforts difficult and dangerous.
A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for 13 New Jersey counties through 9 p.m. Monday. Residents are urged to stay indoors and away from windows.
The evening’s first wave of storms triggered multiple severe thunderstorm warnings across the region, bringing damaging winds capable of snapping tree branches, downing power lines, and causing structural damage to homes and vehicles.
What makes Monday’s situation especially alarming is that this is only the beginning. Forecasters say multiple rounds of storms are expected to continue rolling through the state into the night — meaning the outage numbers could climb significantly in the hours ahead.
Adding to the concern, most of New Jersey is now under a flash flood watch through 6 a.m. Tuesday. The heaviest downpours could dump rainfall at rates of up to 2 inches per hour, creating dangerous flooding conditions on roads and in low-lying areas. Drivers are warned not to attempt to cross flooded roadways under any circumstances.
Residents should charge phones and devices now while power is still available, move vehicles away from trees and low-lying areas, and have an emergency kit ready in the event of extended outages. Those who lose power should report outages directly to their utility provider.
Officials are urging all New Jersey residents to monitor local emergency alerts closely and avoid unnecessary travel through Tuesday morning as conditions are expected to remain dangerous overnight.
