Toms River, New Jersey Power Outage Today

How reliable is JCP&L service in Toms River?

JCP&L is an investor-owned utility with 1,147,443 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 2.46 interruptions and 481 minutes (about 8 hours) without power, so the average outage lasted about 3.3 hours.

Major event days, the severe-weather days that utilities report separately, made up about 47% of that time. Without them the average is 255 minutes, so weather matters here but ordinary equipment faults and tree contact account for most of the total.

The typical outage was repaired in about 3.3 hours.

For comparison, New Jersey as a whole averaged 174 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts JCP&L above the state average.

Among the 4 utilities in New Jersey with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, JCP&L ranks 4th for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 23% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

These are the figures the utility itself reported to the US Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-861, 2024) and describe the whole service territory, not one street. Your own address can be better or worse.

Storm season and outages in Toms River

NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 349 storm reports for Ocean County from 2015 through 2026, most often thunderstorm wind (221), flash flood (36), heavy rain (32), and hail (29). The busiest full year was 2020 with 107 reports and the quietest was 2015 with 14, so the risk changes a lot from one year to the next.

Reports peak in July (101 since 2015), followed by June and August. October is outside those three months, so an outage now is less likely to be weather-related.

NOAA’s own narratives name power outages in 40 storm episodes in Ocean County since 2015, most often in July. That count is a floor, since the database records outages only when a spotter or agency mentions them.

What the most common storm types in Toms River do to the grid:

• Thunderstorm wind. Straight-line wind pushes trees and limbs into distribution lines. These outages are usually local, a street or a neighborhood at a time, and crews clear them circuit by circuit.
• Flash flood. Floodwater reaches ground-level transformers, meters and low-lying substations. Utilities may shut power off ahead of the water on purpose, and wading near flooded equipment can electrocute.
• Heavy rain. Saturated ground topples shallow-rooted trees onto lines, and standing water slows crews trying to reach the damage.

Storm reports that name Toms River

Within Ocean County, 44 NOAA storm reports since 2015 name Toms River as their location or in their description: thunderstorm wind (25), flash flood (8), heavy rain (7), and hail (2). That is about 13% of the county’s reports. Reports naming Toms River are most common in July. The busiest full year was 2020 with 17.

In NOAA’s own words, storms that left Toms River without power:

• August 28, 2020 (thunderstorm wind): “Several reports of downed trees and power lines with numerous power outages in the Toms River area.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• June 3, 2020 (thunderstorm wind): “Numerous reports of trees and power lines down in Toms River.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• April 21, 2020 (thunderstorm wind): “Considerable damage occurred in Toms River with numerous reports of downed trees and power lines and some property damage.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database

Who a power outage hits hardest in Toms River

85.7% of occupied homes in Toms River are heated with piped natural gas, and 8.9% with electricity (US 41.3% electric). A gas furnace still needs electricity for its blower and ignition, so a long winter outage leaves these homes cold too, though a gas supply stays on when the grid fails. Never heat a home with an oven, grill or camp stove indoors.

Residents aged 65 or older are 20% of the population in Toms River, close to the US share of 17.2% and 12.6% report a disability (US 13.3%). These are the households most likely to depend on powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and refrigerated medicine. If someone in your home does, ask JCP&L whether it keeps a priority or medical-needs list, and register before the next storm rather than during it.

About the housing: 33.7% of the housing in Toms River was built before 1970 (US 35.5%).

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (housing, heating fuel, age and disability tables).

Backup power and electricity use in Toms River

The average JCP&L home used about 791 kWh a month in 2024 (US average 892 kWh), an average draw of 1.1 kW around the clock, and paid about 15.6 cents per kWh (19.1 in the state, 15.8 nationally), roughly $124 a month.

Keeping only the essentials on (a refrigerator, router, a few lights and phone chargers, about 400 watts) through an outage that lasts the average about 3.3 hours takes about 1.3 kWh. A portable power station or a power bank covers that; a generator is more than most households here need for a typical outage.

A generator must never run indoors, in a garage or near a window; generator and food-safety rules are in the power outage guide linked below.

If the power is out in Toms River

About 95,314 people live in Toms River, the 8th largest of the 10 New Jersey cities on this site. Report the outage to the utility so a ticket exists for your address, then check JCP&L’s outage map for an estimate. If neighbors have power and you do not, report it again: the fault may be on the line to your house alone, which is a separate repair.

Toms River power outage map

JCP&L’s outage map has the official restoration estimate for your address; the count above comes from residents. Food and generator safety: power outage guide.

Toms River power outage questions