The Stone Harbor Office of Emergency Management has received a power restoration update from Atlantic City Electric on Sunday, January 24th. Power continues to be out this morning for customers in Avalon and Stone Harbor. Strong winds during the winter storm prevented many power restoration efforts on Saturday due to unsafe working conditions for repair crews, and the inability for the utility to access barrier islands due to major coastal flooding. Atlantic City Electric reports substantial issues with power lines on the 7 Mile Beach following Saturday’s storm event.

Restoration work is underway. Atlantic City Electric will have crews both on Avalon Boulevard and Stone Harbor Boulevard today and throughout the community to both assess and repair the power situation. Various power lines will be strung. As the power begins to come back on for the 7 Mile Beach, there could be temporary interruptions or “blips” in power. Motorists are asked to exercise greater caution when driving past an area where repair crews are present and follow any instructions provided by local police departments.

The restoration time is estimated. It is possible that customers in the southern end of Avalon and Stone Harbor could be restored around Noontime on Sunday; restoration for the remainder of Avalon is estimated to occur at or before 6:00pm. These restoration times are estimates and provided to us by Atlantic City Electric.

Atlantic City Electric wants to remind customers that it is still very important to report their individual service outage to the utility. You may do so by calling 1-800-833-7476 to report your outage or downed wires on your street. You can also report your outage on the outage page at the Atlantic City Electric website. You can view the outage map on the website as well, and you will also find information to download a free app on your smartphone to track information about outages and utility restoration.

On Sunday, January 24th, Atlantic City Electric reported an estimated 15,000 customer outages in Cape May County with more outages further up the southern New Jersey coast.

The National Weather Service has continued the Coastal Flood Warning for the Borough through 12 Noon today. Moderate coastal flooding is expected at time of high tide this morning, which is at 8 o’clock at the Townsends Inlet Bridge. The Winter Storm Warning and the High Wind Warning have both expired during the overnight hours.

The winter storm that brought snow, rain and wind has departed our region. There is one more high tide of concern, at 8:00am. We expect moderate coastal flooding in sections of our community that have flooded on Saturday. This morning’s flooding is not expected to be as severe as Saturday morning’s flood event but streets in Stone Harbor prone to flooding are expected to get high water this morning.

Never attempt to drive on any street that has flood water. You put yourself, your vehicle, and first responders at risk. And, do not drive in water that creates a wake that can damage businesses and homes. Never drive on a street that has a downed utility line. If you have any emergency, please dial 911.

Atlantic City Electric reports approximately 15,000 customers without power on Sunday morning in Cape May County; there are other customers without power in Atlantic and Ocean Counties as well. The High Wind Warning has expired, which means utility officials will be able to safely work on utility lines in ACE’s service district. Utility officials were able to access some barrier island communities to evaluate the damage and downed power lines. The estimated restoration time for parts of Avalon and Stone Harbor still without power is approximated on the utility’s outage map, opens in a new windowwww.atlanticcityelectric.com. Utility officials tell us they work to restore service as quickly as possible. Some additional minor outages remain possible as crews repair the damage to the wires caused by the strong winds and icing of the power lines. If you have an outage to report, call 1-800-833-7476; you may also report downed wires to that number as well.

Winter Storm Jonas, bringing high winds and heavy snow, moved into the region last night and is expected to continue through Sunday morning. The storm caused significant damage in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties, leaving more than 40,000 Atlantic City Electric customers without power.
Sustained winds of 30 mph to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph along the coast have hampered restoration efforts. Crews will assess damage and make repairs when they can work safely. Significant flooding along the coast is also preventing access to areas requiring repair and further delaying restoration. Critical customers who need electricity for life support equipment are advised to seek shelter where power is available.
“We’re keeping a close watch on the weather and wind speeds,” said Vince Maione, Atlantic City Electric region president. “We’ll continue conducting a comprehensive assessment which we’ll use to strategically deploy crews. Crews will work around the clock as safely and quickly as possible until every customer is restored.”
All Atlantic City Electric employees have a second role during emergencies and will participate in the restoration effort. Mutual assistance personnel from other utilities have also been enlisted to assist in the restoration process.
Atlantic City Electric will prioritize its restoration effort by first addressing damage to its critical electric infrastructure including transmission lines and substation equipment, as well as hospitals, fire and police stations, water filtration plants. Next, crews repair main distribution lines that serve the largest number of customers, followed by single customers in rural areas.
The safety of our customers and crews is paramount. Customers are urged to avoid working crews and to stay away from all downed wires, even if they don’t appear to be energized.
All outages and downed wires should be reported to 1-800-833-7476, through opens in a new windowwww.atlanticcityelectric.com or through the mobile app, available for downloading at atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp. Customers should request a call back to verify their power has been restored.

Here is the latest briefing from the National Weather Service on what Stone Harbor and other areas may expect during the afternoon and evening from this winter storm:  National Weather Service Briefing Saturday January 23 100pm

The Borough of Stone Harbor has declared a local State of Emergency due to the coastal storm.  Due to the power outage that has affected the community, Stone Harbor has now opened a local shelter at the Stone Harbor Recreation Center located at 82nd Street and Second Avenue.  Residents who seek the shelter should drive to the Recreation Center only when it is safe to do so.  Please do not drive on a flooded street or through a flooded intersection; you put yourself, first responders, and your vehicle at risk.  If you have any emergency during this storm event, please dial 911.  If you wish to be evacuated to the Stone Harbor shelter, please call 911.

Atlantic City Electric still anticipates a lengthy outage for the 7 Mile Beach including Stone Harbor and Avalon.  You can view the latest outage maps at opens in a new windowwww.atlanticcityelectric.com.

Atlantic City Electric is reporting nearly 20,000 power outages in Cape May County as a result of this morning’s winter storm and high wind event. There are nearly 30,000 customers in Atlantic City Electric’s service area without power at 7:45am on Saturday, January 23^rd. Atlantic City Electric is reporting outages not only in Avalon and Stone Harbor, but in Sea Isle City, Lower Township, Middle Township, Upper Township, Cape May, and the Wildwoods. It is possible that this could be an extended power outage for customers who have been affected by these multiple outages. For the safety of its crews, the utility must wait until the very strong winds subside to some degree before attempts can be made to restore some power interruptions. You can view the utility’s outage map at opens in a new windowwww.atlanticcityelectric.com.

If you have any emergency during this storm event, please dial 911.

If you attempt to drive following this high tide event, please exercise caution and never attempt to drive through any flood water. This puts the driver and vehicle at risk, and can cause an unnecessary wake that can damage properties in the Borough.   Strong winds are expected to keep flood waters in the back bays after high tide. This may complicate the next high tide event scheduled for 7:43pm at the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge.

The Winter Storm Warning, High Wind Warning, and Coastal Flood Warning remain in effect by the National Weather Service.

The following is a statement from the Office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie:

With Winter Storm Jonas expected to arrive in New Jersey tonight, Governor Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency, authorizing the State Director of Emergency Management to activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies. Commuters are asked to use extreme caution while traveling across the state.

“This weekend’s storm is expected to produce heavy snow and a variety of dangerous travel conditions throughout the state,” said Governor Chris Christie. “I’ve authorized state officials to continue all necessary actions, and we will monitor conditions throughout the remainder of the storm. I encourage all New Jerseyans to drive carefully and remain off the roads if possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

Starting Friday evening, New Jersey is expected to experience a severe winter storm with heavy snow, mixed precipitation, 25-45 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph, and freezing temperatures throughout the State. A potential mixture of hazardous travel conditions, fallen trees and power outages, and coastal, stream, and river flooding are anticipated.

Road conditions will be available at the New Jersey Department of Transportation website at opens in a new windowhttp://www.511nj.org/.

New Jersey State of Emergency Winter Storm January 2016

The National Weather Service has continued the Winter Storm Warning, the High Wind Warning, and the Coastal Flood Warning for the Borough of Stone Harbor. The major winter storm has arrived in our region, and snow began falling in the Borough around 4:00pm. Shortly before 5:00pm, moderate snow was falling in Stone Harbor with calm winds and currently no coastal flooding concerns; that will change over the next 36 hours.

A major storm will bring widespread moderate to perhaps major coastal flooding in some seashore communities during the two high tides on Saturday, and the morning high tide on Sunday.

Snow is expected to fall during the Friday evening and into the Friday night/Saturday morning hours with accumulating snowfall likely. The snow may change over to a wintry mix overnight or by daybreak tomorrow in advance of the high tide event. Please remember that snow on streets can cover streets that are flooded; extreme caution is advised while driving during this storm event, including at time of high tide. A changeover to rain is expected on Saturday before a change back to snow before the storm ends Saturday night or Sunday morning. There will be very strong winds associated with this storm event, with gusts to 60mph or greater. We anticipate heavy surf and beach erosion.

High tide will occur at the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge between Avalon and Sea Isle City on Saturday at 7:17am and again at 7:43pm, and again on Sunday at 8:00am and again at 8:27pm.

Residents who live on a street that typically floods during coastal storms should move their vehicles to higher ground. Do not park your vehicle on any bridge in Stone Harbor. Street flooding is expected during both high tides on Saturday, and the morning high tide on Sunday. Never attempt to drive on any street covered by water; this puts you, your vehicle, and emergency responders in harm’s way. Driving on a flooded street also creates an unnecessary wake that could cause property damage to homes and businesses. Water on a street is always deeper than you believe it is.

The High Wind Warning means that Stone Harbor will likely experience steady winds out of the northeast at 35-45mph, with gusts at 60mph or greater. This can result in downed power lines, downed trees, and other hazards in the roadway. Please take this opportunity to bring inside (or secure) objects prone to strong winds including patio furniture and trash cans. Contractors are asked to secure their job sites to prevent debris from being scattered through neighborhoods.

Power out­ages are pos­si­ble dur­ing this storm event due to the strong winds. If you expe­ri­ence a power out­age, do not assume some­one else has called in the out­age. Call the Atlantic City Elec­tric out­age num­ber at 1–800-833-7476. You may also visit opens in a new windowwww.atlanticcityelectric.com to the view the cur­rent out­age map for their ser­vice area. If you have any emer­gency, please dial 911.

Here is the update for the Delaware Valley provided by the National Weather Service Office in Mt. Holly, NJ. This PDF represents storm impacts from the Poconos through the southern shore region:Natiional Weather Service Storm Update January 22 4pm

Here is the updated forecast courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Rain, snow, and sleet before 2am, then rain and sleet between 2am and 4am, then rain after 4am. Low around 31. Windy, with a northeast wind 15 to 25 mph increasing to 26 to 36 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Saturday: Rain before 7am, then rain and sleet between 7am and 10am, then rain after 10am. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 41. Very windy, with a northeast wind 34 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday Night: Snow. Areas of blowing snow between 1am and 4am. Low around 26. Windy, with a north wind 33 to 38 mph decreasing to 26 to 31 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Sunday: Snow likely, mainly before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

The National Weather Service has updated its forecast this morning to now include a Winter Storm Warning, a Coastal Flood Warning, and a High Wind Warning for our region. These warnings are in effect for various times this weekend as a winter storm approaches our community. The Winter Storm Warning is in effect from Friday evening through Sunday morning; the Coastal Flood Warning is in effect from early Saturday morning through Sunday at Noon; and the High Wind Warning is in effect from Friday evening through Saturday night. We expect to receive accumulating snowfall from this storm, potentially four to eight inches depending on mixing with sleet and rain on Saturday; wind gusts of 60mph or potentially higher; and moderate coastal flooding during times of high tide on Saturday, and again on Sunday morning.

The storm is expected to begin with a chance of snow sometime after 5:00pm on Friday with some accumulation before the changeover late tonight. A mixture of rain, sleet, and snow is expected during the overnight hours with increasing winds. During the daytime on Saturday, strong winds, heavy rain and flooding is expected at times of high tide. Saturday night, snow re-develops and is expected to end sometime Sunday morning around daybreak. The forecast calls for most of our accumulating snow to be at the end of this storm. Coastal flooding is also likely during high tide on Sunday morning.

High tide will occur at the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge between Avalon and Sea Isle City on Saturday at 7:17am and again at 7:43pm, and again on Sunday at 8:00am and again at 8:27pm. The forecast predicts moderate coastal flooding throughout flood-prone areas in our community.

Residents who live on a street that typically floods during coastal storms should move their vehicles to higher ground. Do not move your vehicle onto any bridge in town.  Street flooding is expected during both high tides on Saturday, and the morning high tide on Sunday. Never attempt to drive on any street covered by water; this puts you, your vehicle, and emergency responders in harm’s way. Driving on a flooded street also creates an unnecessary wake that could cause property damage to homes and businesses. Water on a street is always deeper than you believe it is.

The High Wind Warning means that Stone Harbor will likely experience steady winds out of the northeast at 35-45mph, with gusts at 60mph or greater. This can result in downed power lines, downed trees, and other hazards in the roadway. Please take this opportunity to bring inside (or secure) objects prone to strong winds including patio furniture and trash cans. Contractors are asked to secure their job sites to prevent debris from being scattered through neighborhoods.

Power out­ages are pos­si­ble dur­ing this storm event due to the strong winds. If you expe­ri­ence a power out­age, do not assume some­one else has called in the out­age. Call the Atlantic City Elec­tric out­age num­ber at 1–800-833-7476. You may also visit www.atlanticcityelectric.com to the view the cur­rent out­age map for their ser­vice area. If you have any emer­gency, please dial 911.

Updates are available on this website throughout this storm, along with Channel 97 and traditional media outlets.

Here is the updated weather forecast on Friday morning, January 22nd, from the National Weather Service:

Today: A chance of snow after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 33. Northeast wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Rain, snow, and sleet before 2am, then rain and sleet between 2am and 4am, then rain after 4am. Low around 32. Windy, with a northeast wind 17 to 27 mph increasing to 28 to 38 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Saturday: Rain. High near 41. Very windy, with a northeast wind 39 to 41 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Saturday Night: Snow. Areas of blowing snow between 1am and 4am. Low around 27. Windy, with a north wind 30 to 38 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Sunday: Snow likely, mainly before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. Breezy, with a northwest wind 16 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.