At a Glance
- A First Alert blanketed the Philadelphia area until 10 p.m. on December 19, 2025
- Wind gusts reached 50-60 mph, toppling trees and cutting power
- Morning downpours triggered flooding at the Jersey Shore and snarled the commute
- Why it matters: Travel delays, property damage, and outages hit thousands during the busy pre-holiday rush
A powerful coastal storm roared through the Delaware Valley on Friday, December 19, 2025, forcing News Of Philadelphia to keep a First Alert in place until 10 p.m. as damaging winds and torrential morning rain triggered flooding, travel headaches, and widespread power outages.
How the Storm Unfolded
Heavy rain arrived before dawn, soaking the entire region during the height of the morning commute. The heaviest cells focused on the Jersey Shore, where street flooding stranded cars and prompted water rescues in Atlantic and Cape May counties. By early afternoon, the downpours pushed offshore, but the trailing wind field intensified.
Gusts began ratcheting up around 6 a.m., peaking between 50 and 60 mph. The bluster snapped utility poles, blew transformers, and sent tree limbs crashing onto roofs and roadways. Crews responded to more than 200 reports of wires down across Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties.
Temperatures Tumble as Winds Shift
The storm’s passage flipped the weather script in a matter of hours. Ahead of the cold front, temperatures climbed to an unseasonably mild 60° shortly after sunrise. Once the winds shifted to the northwest, readings plummeted into the mid-40s by the evening rush, leaving residents grabbing heavier coats they had left at home only that morning.
Power Outages Mount
PSE&G reported 42,000 customers without electricity at the height of the event; Atlantic City Electric tallied another 18,000. Most homes regained service within six hours, though isolated pockets in Ocean and Burlington counties remained dark into Saturday morning while crews replaced snapped poles and restrung lines.
Travel Disruptions
NJ Transit suspended service on the Atlantic City Rail Line for two hours after debris covered the tracks. The PATCO Speedline operated on a reduced schedule during the evening commute because of signal issues linked to wind damage. Motorists on the Atlantic City Expressway faced a 10-mile backup after a tractor-trailer jackknifed near milepost 17; no serious injuries occurred.
Jersey Shore Flooding
Streets turned to rivers in Ocean City, where the National Weather Service logged 3.14 inches of rain in three hours-more than the town typically sees in the entire second half of December. Barrier-island communities activated emergency pumps, and officials asked residents to move cars to higher ground. Flooding receded by late afternoon, leaving behind sand and debris that public-works crews cleared overnight.
What’s Next
High pressure builds in for the weekend, delivering sunshine and lighter winds. Saturday highs will reach the upper 40s, with overnight lows near freezing. No additional storms threaten the region through Christmas, giving utility crews and cleanup teams a welcome window to finish repairs before the holiday.
Stay updated by downloading the News Of Philadelphia app and following the Jordan M. Lewis forecasts.
