Atlantic City Electric will be working around the clock to restore power to thousands left without due to gusts that exceeded 65 mph Tuesday, a spokesman said.
Heavy winds, rain and a possible tornado the company working on 3,385 outages affecting 180,135 customers at about 4:30 p.m.
Several streets were also blocked by flooding and downed trees.
The governor issued a state of emergency, with local law enforcement warning people to avoid travel if possible.
"Due to the extensive impact of this storm, estimated times of restoration are currently suspended and will be updated as crews assess damage," spokesman Frank Tedesco said.
The company's Emergency Response Organization is fully activated with all company resources dedicated to restoring service for customers safely and as efficiently as possible.
Tedesco said crews from the company's sister Exelon company, ComEd in Chicago, are supporting the restoration effort. They also have mutual assistance from companies in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Canada.
Customers are urged to stay away from downed wires and assume any downed wire is energized.
To report an outage or downed wire, call 800-833-7476 or report and track through our mobile app or our website at atlanticcityelectric.com/storm.
Customer can also text "OUT" to 20661 to report an outage. Customers must first text "ADD OUTAGE" to 20661 to sign-up for the service.
