Severe thunderstorms swept across New Jersey, bringing heavy rain, damaging winds, and widespread power outages that left more than 30,000 homes and businesses without electricity.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued tornado watches for parts of North Jersey and flash flood warnings as the fast-moving storm system moved across the state. Forecasters warned of the potential for isolated tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, dangerous lightning, and localized flooding.
Utility crews have been working to restore power throughout the state, with the largest outages reported in communities that experienced the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall. Residents are urged to stay away from downed power lines, report outages directly to their utility provider, and avoid unnecessary travel in areas affected by flooding.
The storms arrived during a week already impacted by poor air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires. While the rainfall is expected to help clear much of the lingering smoke, weather officials continue to warn that flooding, fallen trees, and scattered power outages remain ongoing hazards.
Residents are encouraged to monitor updates from the National Weather Service and local utility companies as weather conditions continue to evolve and restoration efforts remain underway.
Source: National Weather Service (NWS).