4,500 Still Powerless In Morris, Sussex For Fourth Day

NORTH JERSEY, NJ - After a fourth cold sunrise for more than 4,500 customers in Morris and Sussex officials are estimating full restoration by 11:30 p.m. Thursday night.

The power outage, caused by the slow-moving storm that churned through the area early this week, brought down trees and powerlines causing extreme damage and service interruptions to the northwest portion of the state.

According to JCP&L the lionshare of the outages are statewide are centered in Sussex County, with nearly 4,400 customers without service and Sparta topping the list with over 900 without power as of Thursday afternoon.

"There is significant tree damage and many road closures, particularly in the Newton and Andover areas, which saw up to 14 inches of snow and, in some places, a quarter inch of ice," JCP&L said in a statement.

In Morris County, the totals were dropped to just over 10, spread out in isolated pockets throughout the county.

All areas are estimated to have service back by 11:30 p.m. tonight.

JCP&L noted that their crews work 24/7 to restore service to customers after a storm, and the utility has called in additional support.

"In addition to JCP&L's own crews, line workers from our sister utilities Potomac Edison and Mon Power as well as contractor crews are assisting with restoration efforts," JCP&L said in a statement. "There are also 154 forestry crews working hard to clear tree damage due to the heavy snow and ice."

As power is restored, JCP&L notes that if a resident receives a call or text message indicating that power has been restored but they remain without service, a secondary issue may need to be addressed.

"If this happens, we ask that you re-report your outage. We know this can be frustrating, but confirming your power is still out is key for our crews to continue addressing the cause of your outage," officials said in a statement.

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