Coastal storm knocks out power, brings heavy rain across NJ

TRENTON — Nearly 27,000 customers were in the dark Sunday morning and part of an NJ Transit line was suspended thanks to heavy rain and high winds from New Jersey's nor'easter like storm.

"This was not a tropical storm and, as I had hoped, lightning and severe weather threats never developed. Just a nasty day and night, filled with rain and wind. Townsquare Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.

"I spent the evening on Long Beach Island and the night in Manahawkin, and can personally attest that the wind was pretty intense during the peak of the storm," Zarrow said.

As of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning nearly 13,000 utility customers around New Jersey had no power, according to their respective outage maps.

• JCP&L: 11,203 customers mostly in Monmouth (Howell, Holmdel & Keansburg) and  Morris (Mount Olive)  counties
• PSE&G: 1,343 customers throughout their service area
• Atlantic City Electric: 333 customers throughout their service area

JCL&L reminded all not to not touch any downed power lines or drive over them.

NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line was also suspended between Avenel and South Amboy because of an overhead wire problem. Service was restored by 11 a.m.

Almost all of New Jersey saw over an inch of healthy rainfall from Saturday to Sunday, with notable exceptions in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. A few spots topped 2 inches, including:

• 2.38" at The Villas (Cape May County)
• 2.39" at Greenwich (Cumberland County)
• 2.35" at Fortescue (Cumberland County)
• 2.22" at Cedar Bridge (Ocean County)
• 2.15" at Wildwood Crest (Cape May County)
• 2.00" at Green Creek (Cape May County)

The fiercest wind gusts arrived right on schedule during the overnight hours. Top gusts in the state included:

• 58 mph at Tuckerton (Ocean County)
• 56 mph at Seaside Heights (Ocean County)
• 51 mph at Pleasantville (Atlantic County)
• 51 mph at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County)
• 47 mph at Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County)
• 46 mph at Harvey Cedars (Ocean County)
• 43 mph at High Point (Sussex County)The storm has since departed, with only residual showers and a stiff breeze Sunday morning. More soggy weather is ahead though as a blocking pattern sets up. We'll have a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms every day this week, according to Zarrow.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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