Weather

More Than 45K Remain Without Power In NJ Following Thunderstorms

Initially, more than 80,000 customers lost power during the severe thunderstorms that hammered the Garden State on Tuesday night.

(Jennifer Jean Miller/Patch)

NEW JERSEY — More than 45,000 New Jersey customers remain without power on Wednesday morning following severe thunderstorms. Initially, more than 80,000 customers lost power on Tuesday night.

The storms brought damaging wind, lightning, thunder and heavy rain on Tuesday as they passed through much of the Garden State.

As of 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday, JCP&L is reporting more than 39,000 customers are without power throughout the Garden State.

Find out what's happening in Basking Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

PSE&G is reporting just over 5,000 customers without power as of 7 p.m. The majority of outages are reported in Bergen, Burlington and Passaic counties. Read More: Thousands Without Power In Bergen County As Thunderstorm Hits

Here is a breakdown of the outages for JCP&L customers:

Find out what's happening in Basking Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Burlington County - 240
  • Essex County - 8
  • Hunterdon County - 2,441
  • Mercer County - 80
  • Middlesex County - 757
  • Monmouth County - 5,290
  • Morris County - 7,604
  • Ocean County - 8,168
  • Passaic County - 1,624
  • Somerset County - 699
  • Sussex County - 9,519
  • Union County - 120
  • Warren County - 3,115

Here is a breakdown of the outages for PSE&G customers:

  • Bergen County - 1,102
  • Burlington County - 1,123
  • Essex County - 862
  • Hudson County - 26
  • Mercer County - 423
  • Middlesex County - 126
  • Passaic County - 1,041
  • Somerset County - 47
  • Union County - 610

The storms had also caused up to 60-minute delays system-wide due to downed trees and other storm-related issues to NJ Transit trains on Tuesday night.

As of 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, NJ Transit said, "rail service in and out of Penn Station New York is operating on or close to schedule in both directions following earlier weather-related issues."

"Severe thunderstorms are officially defined as storms that are capable of producing hail that is an inch or larger or wind gusts over 58 mph," according to the National Weather Service. "Wind this strong is able to break off large branches, knock over trees or cause structural damage to trees. Some severe thunderstorms can produce hail larger than softballs or winds over 100 mph, so please pay attention to the weather so you know when severe storms are possible. Thunderstorms also produce tornadoes and dangerous lightning; heavy rain can cause flash flooding." Read More: NJ Weather: Heat Advisory, Thunderstorms On Tuesday Forecast

Here's the latest forecast:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90. South wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Thursday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. High near 81. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Friday Night: A chance of thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

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