Morris Plains kept a cooling and charging center open Monday, Mendham reported roads obstructed by downed utility lines, Randolph Lake remained closed, and a flood watch was in effect through 8 p.m.
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – Storm recovery continued Monday, July 6, across parts of Morris County after severe weather caused widespread power outages, brought down trees and utility lines, and closed roads and public facilities. As crews continued restoration work, the National Weather Service kept Morris County under a flood watch through 8 p.m. Monday, adding a new weather risk to communities still clearing damage.
In Morris Plains, borough officials said Monday morning they remained in contact with utility companies as residents continued dealing with power, phone and cable outages. The borough’s cooling and charging center was open Monday until approximately 9 p.m., and officials said decisions were still being made about whether Morris Plains Camp could safely reopen Tuesday. Residents needing non-emergency assistance were directed to call Morris Plains police at 973-538-2284.
The Monday update followed several days of disruption. Early Saturday morning, the borough reported that a substation behind the Morris Plains Train Station had gone offline for an unknown reason and that most, if not all, of Morris Plains had lost power. Public works crews cleared multiple fallen trees, but officials said trees involving power lines could not be removed until electrical hazards were addressed.
By Sunday night, Morris Plains officials said restoration work remained underway and warned that additional storms could interfere with repairs. The borough kept the Community Center available for cooling and charging, canceled Monday recreation day camp and said garbage collection would proceed only where road conditions allowed.
Road closures continue in Mendham
In Mendham Borough, a July 6 update said several roads remained affected by downed trees and utility lines. Officials reported:
- Ironia Road between West Main Street and Roxiticus Extension: trees and primary power lines down.
- Ironia Road near Backer Farm: a primary power line down.
- Thomas Road: downed wires.
- Bernardsville Road near 435: one lane passable.
- Hilltop Road: reopened.
The conditions followed a July 5 notice that described multiple roads in Mendham Borough and Mendham Township as closed or impassable while crews addressed storm damage.
Mendham officials had opened the Garabrant Center as a cooling and charging station on July 4 during widespread outages and repeatedly warned residents to avoid downed wires. Borough officials said some trees were intertwined with utility lines, requiring electrical hazards and damaged poles to be evaluated before tree removal could proceed.
Randolph Lake closed until further notice
Randolph Lake remained closed until further notice after downed trees and damage from high winds, according to a township notice posted July 5. Randolph said crews were assessing conditions and clearing hazards and directed the public not to enter the lake or park area while the closure remained in place.
Randolph also opened a temporary cooling and charging location on July 4 as power outages continued, another sign of the storm’s effect across the county.
JCP&L says restoration could extend into midweek
The local damage formed part of a much larger outage event across Jersey Central Power & Light’s service area. In a July 5 restoration update, JCP&L said approximately 67,000 customers remained without service and that it had restored power to about 230,000 of nearly 300,000 customers affected by the heat and storms of the preceding days.
The utility said the vast majority of remaining customers were expected to have service restored by Tuesday night, with most others expected back by Wednesday night. JCP&L said the storms caused extensive damage, including hundreds of broken poles and downed wires, and that thousands of personnel were involved in restoration. Those figures cover JCP&L’s broader service territory and are not Morris County-only totals.
Flood watch through Monday evening
The National Weather Service listed a flood watch for Morris County through 8 p.m. Monday. The watch covered Morristown and the broader county forecast zone as additional rain moved through the region.
Residents should continue checking municipal alerts and utility restoration information because road access and outage estimates can change as crews complete repairs. Downed power lines should be treated as hazardous, and residents should call 911 for immediate electrical emergencies rather than approaching damaged wires.