Wind gusts of 50 mph cause damage, power outages across New Jersey
JCP&L says the number of outages will continue to fluctuate and most homes will have power Monday night, while others will be restored by Tuesday.
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New Jersey saw wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Monday. With the strong winds came downed power lines and power outages. In one neighborhood, a tree fell on a house.
"It went BANG! ya know? The loudest bang I've ever heard! I thought maybe it was an 18-wheeler that crashed into a tree or something,” says Hillside homeowner Michael Sokol.
Sokol describes what he heard as he sat on his couch enjoying a cup of coffee around 12:30 p.m.
"There was no warning. There was no snaps from the trees, from the branches breaking off it was just in the house,” Sokol says.
Sokol and his wife Stephanie are first-time homeowners and have only lived in their home on Riverside Drive for four months. However, the trees, which are not on their property, have always been a concern
"Just hollowed out and very dead,” he says.
This was the story in many communities across the state as the state experienced violent wind, sometimes moving as fast as 50 mph.
Cleanup was underway in Mountain Lakes after strong winds took out powerlines throughout Morris County.
JCP&L says the number of outages will continue to fluctuate and most homes will have power Monday night, while others will be restored by Tuesday.
Back in Hillsdale, Sokol and his wife say they cannot go back to their home until a structural engineer gives them the all-clear.
