1,500+ Still Without Power In Mendham/Chester: See Restoration Times

MENDHAM & CHESTER, NJ — After storms pummeled North Jersey over the holiday weekend, hundreds are still without power in the Mendham/Chester area.

On Friday evening, while already under an extreme heat warning, New Jersey experienced a rapid and intense storm. Areas in Morris County saw wind gusts of more than 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.

The storm left the county practically devastated by the morning of Independence Day. Wires and trees filled streets, limiting travel, and nearly 70,000 Morris County residents were without power.

More: Thousands Without Power In Morris Co. After Major Storms, Heat Wave

Chesters

As of Monday morning, the township has taken the brunt of the power outages, with roughly 20 percent of customers powerless. The borough has about 35 outages, affecting around 3 percent of customers.

"I was out driving around this morning, and it’s not looking good. The only time I’ve seen damage this widespread was after Sandy. This is almost certainly going to be a multi-day power outage," Township Mayor Tim Drag said Saturday morning. "JCP&L is still working on mobilizing crews over the holiday weekend... This is shaping up to be a long-duration event."

Township Mayor Tim Drag said Sunday evening that the North Road outages are partially due to a severely damaged recloser, essentially a smart reset button for the electrical grid.

Once the recloser is replaced, customers will be restored while crews continue repairs affecting the remaining North Road outage.

Areas around South Road, including Dogwood, are also experiencing outages.

According to FirstEnergy Corp., both Borough and Township homes can expect full restoration by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Mendhams

Both Mendham Township and Borough have several hundred customers out.

Mendham Township has 575 outages, or 30 percent of customers, as of Monday afternoon, with the borough seeing 316 customers without power.

"Unfortunately, last night’s fast-moving and severe storm put a wrinkle in the holiday weekend for many families across our community and throughout Morris County. Trees and power lines came down across the area, leaving roads blocked and thousands without power," said Mendham Township Mayor Sarah Neibart.

Mendham Township can expect full restoration by Thursday at 11:30 p.m.

"Things are being addressed and moved forward as quickly as possible," said Borough Mayor Jim Kelly. "Our emergency responders, Department of Public Works, utility crews, and tree contractors continue working throughout Mendham Borough to address the significant storm damage."

Mendham Borough can expect full restoration by Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Still, Monday's weather could add to the chaos, with flash flood warnings being sent across the state.

Read more here: Flood Warnings Hit NJ As Power Outages Linger For Thousands