Beaches Closed, Power Outages In NJ As More Storms Expected

Tuesday's storms had a powerful effect on New Jersey – so much so that two beaches closed because of power outages. More of the same is expected on Wednesday.

Tragically, the bodies of an 18-year-old man and teenage girl were recovered from a lake in Bergen County. They were reportedly swimming during the storms. Read more: Bodies Of 2 Teens Recovered After Drowning In NJ Storm: Reports

Nearly 1,000 were still without power on Wednesday and Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area was closed because of a downed pole that has caused the entire 2,044-acre park to lose electricity (see list below). The 25th Street Bay Front beach in Barnegat Light was also closed because of possible runoff from the storm.

Read more: Sandy Hook Park Closed Wednesday Morning

All roads in Hazlet were flooded as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, including both Highway 35 and 36. There were vehicles stuck in high waters, said Hazlet police, who were warning drivers to stay off the roads and indoors.

Oscar Hernandez of the Hudson Cove Community Boathouse took a photo of the lightning as it came down across the Hudson River (used with permission).

Planes at Newark Liberty International Airport were also delayed because of storms.

Here is the list of towns with outages as of 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday:

1. MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP 202
2. FRANKLIN TWP 116
3. HIGHLANDS BOROUGH 71
4. BELLEVILLE TWP 68
5. HOWELL TOWNSHIP 65
6. DOVER TOWN 53
7. EAST ORANGE CITY 46
8. EATONTOWN BOROUGH 30
9. PATERSON CITY 27
10. ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS BOROUGH 10
11. JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP 7
12. NEWARK CITY 6
13. IRVINGTON TWP 5

A heat advisory, meanwhile, is in place for most of New Jersey as the heat index is again supposed to exceed 100 degrees. More storms could hit the state after 2 p.m., and the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook.

Torrential downpours with any showers and thunderstorms through this evening could lead to localized flooding, the NWS says.

Late-afternoon and evening storms could pack a punch from the central Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts, according to AccuWeather. Any storm in this swath has the potential to become severe at the local level for a brief time.

Incidents of damaging winds can occur while the greatest hazard will be from drenching downpours at the neighborhood level, according to AccuWeather. “Concern for these storms on Wednesday is going to be twofold with wind and heavy, flooding rainfall,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Vido said.

Here is the forecast:

• Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Wednesday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Photo: Oscar Hernandez of Hudson Cove Community Boathouse, Tuesday storm