Millburn residents are cleaning up after a powerful storm system brought heavy rain, flooding concerns, transit disruptions and widespread debris over the July Fourth weekend — forcing the township to temporarily relax its gas-powered leaf blower ban.

The Millburn Office of Emergency Management (OEM) warned residents Sunday, July 5, that the township was under a flood watch and could see multiple rounds of heavy rain, with possible rainfall totals reaching up to 5 inches.

The storm disrupted more than just roads and yards. NJ Transit suspended Morris and Essex Line service on Monday, July 6, affecting riders who use the Millburn and Short Hills stations. Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) reported about 40,000 customers statewide without power as of midday Monday, though a Millburn-specific outage count was not available.

ALSO SEE | Millburn temporarily lifts leaf blower ban after storm cleanup piles up

Millburn recorded 1.52 inches of rain in a 24-hour period from Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon, the highest total reported in Essex County during that window, according to National Weather Service and Rutgers NJ Weather Network data.

The storm’s aftermath created so much yard debris that the Township Committee temporarily suspended the seasonal gas-powered leaf blower ban. Residents and registered landscaping contractors can use the equipment for storm cleanup through the end of business Friday, July 10.

After that, the seasonal restriction returns and remains in effect through Labor Day.

Residents still without power should report outages directly to JCP&L. Storm updates are available on the township's website..