Somerset County officials declared a shelter in place after
flash flooding hammered the area
Monday night.
“All Somerset County residents and businesses are to shelter in place,” county officials said in an emergency alert and
social media post Monday night
at about 8:15 p.m. “No one is to travel. Roads are flooded and conditions are extremely dangerous.”
A spokesperson for Somerset County did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any injuries or damage resulting from the storm.
Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency earlier Monday night after several areas in Somerset, Middlesex and Union Counties received almost four inches of rain Monday afternoon and evening.
Union County also experienced flash flooding causing a number of roads to close and
officials asked the public to only call 911
for life-threatening situations.
In Berkeley Heights, police provided shelter at town hall for residents and even offered to pick anyone up who needed transportation, according
to a social media post
.
“The township has several flooded streets and roadways with pavement buckling,” Berkeley Heights police said. “Please stay home and off the roadways. We will keep everybody updated once the rains stops.”
Strong storms
expected to bring heavy rain and damaging winds
rolled into the northern half of New Jersey early Monday evening causing flash-flood warnings to be issued for 10 counties by the National Weather Service.
Within a few hours, several inches of rain hammered areas of Somerset, Union and Morris Counties.
Over three 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, according to rainfall data monitor cooperative between the NJDEP and Rutgers University.
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 I-287 due to flooding.
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
.
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.
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Matthew Enuco
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