The full financial impact of this weekend’s powerful storms is still being assessed, but early estimates indicate that millions of dollars in damage have been inflicted across the Lakewood area as residents continue the long cleanup and recovery process.

Across Lakewood and neighboring communities, countless homeowners spent the weekend clearing debris after large trees and heavy limbs crashed onto roofs, garages, sheds, and vehicles. In many neighborhoods, fences were flattened, siding and roofing sustained damage, and yards were littered with debris.

The storms also caused widespread damage to utility infrastructure, leaving tens of thousands of customers without electricity at the height of the outages. Utility crews have been working around the clock to restore service, but as of Monday morning, nearly 2,000 JCP&L customers in Ocean County remained without power as repairs continued. Crews are still replacing damaged poles, repairing downed wires, and removing hazardous trees.

For many residents, the cleanup is only the beginning. Homeowners whose properties sustained damage are encouraged to contact their insurance companies as soon as possible to begin the claims process and determine what repairs and losses may be covered under their policies. Experts also recommend documenting all damage with photographs before cleanup begins whenever it is safe to do so.

Municipal crews, utility workers, emergency responders, and volunteers have been working tirelessly since the storm swept through Friday evening, clearing blocked roadways, removing dangerous trees, and helping restore normalcy to affected neighborhoods.

While power has been restored to the vast majority of customers, many families are still dealing with the aftermath of one of the most destructive summer storms to impact the region in recent years, with cleanup efforts expected to continue for days.