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First-Responders & Utility Providers Prepare for Hazardous Weather Outlook for Morris County
What the Morris County Office of Emergency Management and JCP&L want you to know as they prepare for the hazardous weather coming to Morris County.
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The Morris County Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center is currently monitoring the weather forecast details for today through tomorrow, December 23rd. At this time, the National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Morris County.
This alert is in addition to a Flood Watch which remains in effect from this evening at 7:00 PM through Friday evening at 7:00 PM during which excessive rainfall is possible.
The current forecast predicted the rain showers we’ve seen since midday and predicts showers to continue throughout the afternoon and increase into the night. Rain is expected to taper off just before dawn tomorrow and continue through mid-morning.
The rain will pick up again as an anticipated cold front moves into our area. A small amount of snow (half an inch max) is possible as temperatures drop. Wind speeds will vary between 10-20 mph with gusts potentially over 40 mph. The heaviest, torrential rain is expected this evening. Poor drainage and flooding issues remain a concern. Total rainfall amounts of 1-2” are forecasted with isolated amounts up to 2.5” possible.
There is concern the high wind gust may impact electrical lines. JCP&L has brought in additional crews and will be working with the Morris County Office of Emergency Management through the duration of this weather event.
Please keep in mind that the Morris County Communications 911 Center tends to get extremely busy during storms and weather-related events. Don’t overburden 911 with calls of power outages. If you lose power in your home report the outage directly to JCP&L, here (this can be done through your cell phone), by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or by texting out to 544487.
Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) meteorologists are closely monitoring the developing weather conditions. JCP&L is prepared to activate its storm response and Incident Command System plans.
Customers should immediately report downed wires to 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or call their local police department. JCP&L reminds customers to stay away from downed wires, even if they believe they are no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled with trees or other debris. Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.
JCP&L customers can subscribe to email and text message alert notifications to receive weather updates in advance of major storms and updates on scheduled or extended power outages. Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/connect to enroll.
