Storm takes out Madison's electric utility as county fields 1,000 emergency calls

Madison took the brunt of a fierce Sunday night storm that dropped more than 4 inches of rain on parts of Morris County and damaged the borough's electrical utility , leaving thousands in the dark.

While power was restored to about 17,000 customers by Monday morning, permanent repairs to downed electrical lines could take two days, borough officials said.

More thunderstorms and rain were forecast for Monday night, adding to the deluge that caused extensive flooding in Denville, Morristown, Morris Plains, Hanover, Florham Park, Butler and other towns. No other major utility interruptions were reported.

Madison − which absorbed 4.52" inches of rain during the storm − experienced two outages that affected "every electric utility customer, including residents, businesses, and educational institutions," according to a statement from the borough.

Power restored, then cut again

The borough receives its power from multiple feeder lines that transmit electricity from outside the municipality to local substations. Both lines are owned and maintained by JCP&L. A lightning strike and a falling tree at 7:30 p.m. Sunday near Brooklake Road caused one line to catch fire, cutting power to the borough-operated utility.

"The Madison Electric Department, working closely with JCP&L, switched our distribution from the main line to the secondary line," borough officials said. "By approximately 10 p.m., power was restored to most customers, although a few residences experienced extended outages due to a blown transformer, which was subsequently replaced."

Another borough-wide outage occurred at around 2:30 a.m. Monday due to a secondary feeder line that was not receiving power from JCP&L. "The prolonged outage was caused by a tree, outside the heavily trimmed and maintained right-of-way, falling and taking down Madison’s secondary line, along with other JCP&L customers," the statement read.

Madison and JCP&L workers responded immediately, but the power remained off for several hours before full restoration around 9 a.m.

"We share our residents' frustration, particularly with the prolonged outage experienced early this morning," officials wrote, adding "both outages were due to circumstances beyond our control."

The Madison utility on Monday was receiving power from an alternate hub while permanent repairs are made to the main feeder lines. Those repairs may take up to two days to complete.

"We understand that this morning's outage was unusual and very frustrating for all residents, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused," borough officials wrote.

How much rain fell in Morris County?

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicted a chance of showers and thundershowers through Monday evening, with perhaps two-tenths of an inch of rain accumulating. But the forecast cautioned of higher amounts possible in thunderstorms."

The following Morris County rain totals from Sunday night's storm were recorded by the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network :

• Boonton: 3.64"
• Butler: 3.26
• Chatham NW: 4.06
• Chester Twp.: 1.52
• Denville: 2.98"
• Long Hill WSW: 4.54"
• Jefferson SW: 4.06"
• Madison: 4.52"
• Mendham: 2.13"
• Mine Hill: 1.44"
• Morris Twp.: 3.87"
• Morristown: 4.08"
• Mount Olive: 3.17"
• Randolph SE: 3.00"
• Rockaway NNW: 2.82"
• Roxbury: 2.07"

Rain totals in Connecticut and Long Island exceeded 10 inches in some areas.

More flooding: See how much rain fell in North Jersey

County 911 Center handles 1,000 calls

Throughout Morris County, municipal officials reported several floods in the area that made some roads unpassable.

The Morris County Communications 911 Center handled over 1,000 calls throughout the storm," said Jeffrey Paul, the county's emergency management director. "We are lucky to have an incredible team of true first responders who fielded a significant number of emergency calls and dispatched our police, fire, EMS and OEM personnel to various calls across the county. All of our local first responders, including the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, did a fantastic job."

Paul used the opportunity to caution residents about flood-safety protocols after videos on social media showed cars in Morristown driving through unsafe levels of street flooding.

"During a storm, it is important that the public works in partnership with first responders by recognizing that before calling 911 during a severe weather event, you ask yourself if the reason for your call is a true life-threatening emergency," Paul wrote. "Although every call will be answered, each non-emergency call that comes into 911 has the potential to impact response times to immediate, life-threatening emergencies."

"In addition, you have the power to make the decision if getting on the road or attempting to drive through a flooded area is in the best interest of you, your family, friends, and first responders," Paul added. "We want our first responders to 'not' have to do such a fantastic job next time!"

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: wwesthoven@ dailyrecord.com

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Storm takes out Madison's electric utility as county fields 1,000 emergency calls