Thousands without power after severe storm wallops Shore town

More than 14,000 residents at the Jersey Shore are without power after a severe thunderstorm line blasted through portions of the region on Tuesday afternoon.

In Toms River, where nearly 5,000 power customers are without power as of 4:30 p.m., the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department reported downed trees and wires in the East Dover section of Toms River.

The emergency scanner began buzzing with nearly non-stop activity after the storm line blew through the Toms River area around 3:30 p.m. The Toms River Police Department reported receiving more than 100 calls for assistance.

Tom Damiano, who lives off Bay Avenue in the township, said his neighborhood looks like “a war zone.”

It was not immediately known if there were any injuries in the township.

Elsewhere, around 6,000 utility customers were without power in Berkeley. Monmouth County reported about 2,200 without power.

JCP&L tentatively estimated power restoration by 6:30 p.m. in Berkeley and 7:30 p.m. in Toms River.

The National Weather Service has not yet commented on what specific type of weather feature caused the damage.