Power Outages Linger In Long Valley, Tropical Storm Elsa Moves In

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A handful of Jersey Central Power and Light customers in Washington Township remain without power from Tuesday’s severe weather, some electric restorations expected by Friday afternoon.

There were slightly more than 1,000 outages remaining in Morris County on Thursday morning - and 5,200 in New Jersey overall - as Tropical Storm Elsa made her way up New Jersey’s coast.

Following Tuesday’s storms and as power has continued to be restored, the Washington Township Police Department posted several updates on its Facebook Page.

One was related to residents still without power, who are eligible to pick up free water and ice at the Chester and Mansfield ShopRites.

The next was about generator safety, with information below:

The third, was commentary overall about Tropical Storm Elsa from Washington Township’s Office of Emergency Management:

Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello also posted his update about the storm, including his phone call with JCP&L, to learn about their planned staging areas in the event of power outages. Murello also said cooling stations and charging stations will be activated as needed.

Murello additionally encouraged residents to sign up with RAVE for alerts from the township, if they have not already. Click here for more registration information.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for coastal areas of New Jersey in advance of Elsa’s arrival.

The National Weather Service forecast for Thursday into Friday for Long Valley and Washington Township predicts Elsa to deliver heavy rainfall both overnight on Thursday, with more showers and thunderstorms possible before 11 a.m. on Friday.

There’s a flash flood watch through noon Friday for Long Valley, where Tropical Storm Elsa could deliver heavy rainfall from thunderstorms Thursday night into Friday, leaving behind up to three inches of rain after Thursday’s and Friday’s downpours.

Before the sunny skies are expected to come back on Saturday, Elsa could deliver more showers and thunderstorms through Friday night and overnight into Saturday.

Residents who have JCP&L and experience a power loss during the storms should call 888-LIGHTSS (888-544-4877).

Click here to pinpoint exact areas on JCP&L’s outage map.

See further information below from New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management about the upcoming storm:

RELATED: Tropical Storm Elsa: What To Expect In New Jersey

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RELATED: Where To Find Long Valley's Cooling Centers

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at jennifer.miller@patch.com.