Gov. Murphy declares state of emergency as flash flooding wreaks havoc across N.J.

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency Monday night as flash flooding hit multiple parts of New Jersey.

Murphy asked residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

“I have declared a State of Emergency out of an abundance of caution due to flash flooding and severe thunderstorms across the state,” Murphy said. “I urge New Jerseyans to exercise caution, follow all safety protocols, and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”

Over 3 inches of rain had fallen in Bound Brook in Somerset County Monday and almost 2.5 inches of rain had fallen on the eastern side of Morris County and in areas of Rahway in Union County by 7 p.m., according to rainfall data monitor cooperative.

At 5:38 p.m., authorities in Watchung said the town was under heavy flooding, including Route 22, and asked motorists to avoid driving if possible, according to a nixle alert.

By 6:15 p.m., several roads were closed and residents were asked to shelter in place, police said.

Images shared with NJ Advance Media from Watchung show a car perched atop a concrete barrier with others vehicles half submerged under water.

Another video shared with NJ Advance Media shows traffic stopped and a car stranded on the northbound side of Route 287 due to flooding.

Slow-moving storms caused flood warnings to be issued across the majority of North Jersey counties Monday evening with a risk of 3-5 inches of rain possible in some areas.

A city council meeting in Plainfield was canceled as a result of the flooding and city officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, according to a social media post from the city.

South Plainfield police said the town was experiencing major flooding and that “many roads are being closed” on social media at 6 p.m. Monday.

Union County officials said emergency dispatch centers were overwhelmed with residents calling with non-emergencies asked for residents to only call 911 in life-threatening situations.

“Public Safety agencies across Union County are aware of and responding to multiple issues related to the current storm,” Union County officials said on social media at 6:37 p.m.

In Somerset County, officials said the entire county was under a shelter-in-place order and that no travel was permitted as of 8:21 p.m.

“All Somerset County residents and businesses are to shelter in place,” county officials said in an emergency alert. “No one is to travel. Roads are flooded and conditions are extremely dangerous.”

More flash flooding warnings rolled in for southern counties including Camden County along the Delaware River where a flash flood warning was declared at 7:45 p.m. through 11:45 p.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Burlington County around 7:45 p.m. Monday as well.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.




Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *