Power restoration in North Jersey expected to be 'all day' effort after storm

An overnight storm wreaked havoc across North Jersey as residents woke up Thursday to downed trees, power outages and road closures.

Several trees crashed into houses throughout the region, including in Hawthorne on Warburton Avenue and Park Ridge on Park Avenue.

Check back for updates on the storm damage in North Jersey.

Power outages in North Jersey

Jersey Central Power & Light Communications spokesperson Chris Hoeing reported that the company's crew has been working tirelessly in the field. "Our crew has been pulling 16-hour shifts to restore power outages to our customers," Hoeing said.

As of 3:30 p.m., about 25,000 customers remain without power in North Jersey for JCP&L. "Hundreds and thousands of power outages have been restored since last night," Hoeing added. "It will be an all day restoration."

Morris County still had over 9,000 people without power and Sussex had over 4,000.

Morris County OEM Director Jeffrey Paul reported a busy night for the county's 911 center during a severe thunderstorm.

"We are making progress but we still have a way to go," Paul said. The county remains in cleanup mode as efforts continue.

In a Facebook post, the Sparta Police Department said, due to the high temperatures and many people still without power, the Sparta Go 2 Center will be open to anyone who needs a place to cool down or recharge their phones. The Sparta Police Department Lobby is open 24 hours for this purpose.

PSE&G reported under 1,000 customers without power in each of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.

High winds in NJ

National Weather Service Meteorologist Robert Deal confirmed that the storm watch has expired. "We are expecting the skies to gradually clear up with highs in the 80s," Deal said.

The highest wind speeds recorded during the storm were 50 mph in Stewartsville and 48 mph in Vernon, according to Bob Ziff of North Jersey Observers.

Residents are encouraged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel until the storm damage is fully assessed and cleared.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Power restoration in North Jersey expected to be 'all day' effort after storm