3K+ Without Power In Howell Amid Thursday Storm

HOWELL, NJ - Amid thunderstorms, wind gusts, a statewide flash flood warning and Tropical Storm Elsa on its way, thousands of residents across New Jersey reported power outages Thursday afternoon.

As of 5:15 p.m., 5,515 households were left without power in Monmouth County, according to JCP&L. Of those, 3,042 were from Howell Township.

Update: As of 10:10 p.m. on Thursday, 1033 Monmouth County households were still without power, with less than five Howell homes in the dark.

A tropical storm warning is now in effect throughout the New Jersey coastline, as well as a flash flood watch for the entire state through Friday morning. Severe thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds, excessive heat and even possible tornadoes are on the forecast. Read more: Tropical Storm Elsa In NJ: Flash Flood Watch, Severe Storms

The storm has potential for storm-force wind gusts between 39 and 57 mph, likely to cause damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds, tree limbs and unanchored mobile homes. Motorists should expect hazardous driving conditions on bridges and other elevated roadways with potential scattered power and communications outages.

Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are expected, with locally higher amounts up to 6 inches possible. Scattered storms are expected to last through Friday afternoon to evening.

“OEM would like to remind residents to stay away from downed wires, even if they believe they are no longer carrying electricity,” the Howell Township Office of Emergency Management wrote in a statement on Thursday. “Extra caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled with trees or other debris. Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.”

To report an outage or downed wire, call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-877-544-4877)

Visit JCP&L’s website http://outages.firstenergycorp... to see power outages by town in real time.