Monday evening turned chaotic for thousands of New Jersey residents after a fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms tore through the state, snapping power lines and leaving homes and businesses without electricity.
By around 6:50 p.m., more than 5,000 customers across the state were already sitting in the dark, according to real-time reports gathered from the state’s major utility providers. That number is expected to climb as the storm system continues to push eastward.
The outages came as thunderstorms unleashed powerful wind gusts, with some reaching as high as 60 miles per hour — strong enough to snap tree limbs, topple power lines, and send debris flying across roadways. Residents in several counties reported sudden flickering lights before losing power entirely, while others described trees crashing down just feet from their homes.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the volatile weather is far from over. Forecasters warned that additional rounds of severe thunderstorms are expected to move through New Jersey overnight, with the potential for even stronger wind gusts, torrential downpours, and dangerous flash flooding in low-lying areas.
Multiple severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings remain active across the state, and officials are urging residents to stay alert as conditions could deteriorate quickly after dark, when visibility drops and downed lines become harder to spot.
Utility crews are reportedly being mobilized to assess damage and begin restoration efforts, though full power recovery timelines remain unclear given the possibility of continued storms rolling through the region overnight.
Residents are being advised to avoid downed power lines, keep phones charged in case of extended outages, and prepare for possible flooding in flood-prone neighborhoods. Emergency officials also recommend having flashlights, batteries, and emergency kits ready as the storm threat continues into the early morning hours.
As the situation develops, more homes and businesses could lose power before the storm system finally clears the state.