No Deaths, None Missing In Morris County After Ida: Officials

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Crews around Morris County continue to help with power outages, flooding, downed wires and fallen trees. But as of Friday morning, the county has reported no deaths or missing persons from Hurricane Ida's remnants.

Ida became one of New Jersey's deadliest storms on record, with the state's death toll increasing to 25, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday morning. Fortunately for Morris County, the area endured the storm without any casualties. The Morris County Prosecutor's Office hasn't received any reports of people missing as a result of the storm, according to an agency spokesperson.

Stephen H. Shaw, director of the Morris County Board of Commissioners, thanked first responders for their efforts.

"I want to thank the County Office of Emergency Management and all of the County and local DPW crews, Sheriff's Office, HazMat teams, the members of our Communications Center and local first responders for their tireless efforts in preparing for and responding to the unprecedented impact of the remnants of Hurricane Ida," Shaw said. "Fortunately, we did not experience any loss of life and we are working hard to rebound as quickly as possible."

Flooding in parts of Morris County could continue into the weekend. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Pompton River, expecting minor flooding. The flood warning lasts until 1 a.m. Saturday.

Several bodies of water around Morris County continue to endure flooding as of Friday morning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Flooded waters include the Whippany River in Morristown, the Rockaway River of Boonton and the Pompton River in Pompton Plains.

The storm left more than 8,000 people without power. But most emergency calls stemmed from people stuck in cars or even trapped in their homes by rising waters and floods, according to officials.

Jersey Central Power & Light reported 2,640 active outages in Morris County as of Friday morning. Estimated restoration times ranged from 11 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday. But the company expects most to have their power back by late Saturday night.

"At this stage, crews are addressing many localized issues and restoring individual customers," JCP&L said in a statement. "This is the most time-consuming, labor-intensive and complex part of service restoration, requiring crews to travel to each individual location before repairs can be completed."

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