Will Tropical Storm Fred Flood In Union County? Advisory Issued

Summit NJ

18 August, 2021

11:30 AM

Description

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union County residents and an area cable company prepared as forecasters predicted rain after midnight Thursday from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. Since Fred has been traveling over land, it's not expected to bring as much rain as did Tropical Storm Elsa last month, but forecasters say rain could cause flash flooding. "Locally heavy rainfall from the remnants of Fred may bring localized flash flooding late tonight into Thursday morning," the National Weather Service said for the area. "An isolated tornado is also possible." Both eastern and western Union County are included in this hazardous weather outlook. While some may consider flash floods just an inconvenience, sudden floods have proved fatal to drivers (sometimes trapping parents and children) and people near even small streams. In one North Jersey town last month, shoppers became trapped in a supermarket parking lot. READ MORE: Flash Flood Traps Shoppers: It Happened That Fast The forecast for the Union County area says: Wednesday: A slight chance of showers between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 72. Southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 86. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Here is Patch coverage: Tropical Depression Fred To Bring Thunderstorms, Heavy Rain To NJ See the National Hurricane Center's rainfall potential map here. Here is general guidance given before storms: Residents should secure all furniture and loose objects outside or bring them inside, especially on balconies. Outdoor tents should be taken down depending on wind load.Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, resulting in power outages. Please report power outages and downed wires to PSEG at https://nj.myaccount.pseg.com/....Do not drive through flood-prone areas. Cable Company Guidance On Tuesday, one New Jersey cable company, Optimum, released guidance: "With Tropical Storms Fred, Grace and Henri making their way up the coast, we want to remind you of the resources available to you and assure you we are prepared for storm-related outages. "While some outages cannot be prevented as they're caused by downed wires and power lines, our fully staffed teams are standing by to assist our customers if there are any storm-related outages as soon as it is safe to do so. If unpreventable service outages do occur, restoring your Optimum service is always our top priority. We have made sure that our generators are checked and ready in case of any extended power outages." How you can prepare:• Have all your devices charged and ready.• If you haven't yet signed up for text message alerts, do it now so you get the latest information right to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts.• Have your Optimum ID ready so you can quickly log in to your account, check for service status updates, and find online support. • Don't have an Optimum ID? Create One • Can't remember your Optimum ID or password? Get a reminder• Make sure your profile is up to date: • Verify contact information and enroll in "Service Alerts" on the My Profile page • Add important email accounts to mobile devices and tablets using these easy-to-follow instructions; Apple Devices, Samsung Devices.• • Follow us on Social Media: • Twitter – @OptimumHelp • Facebook – Optimum Want breaking news when it happens in your Union County town? Sign up for occasional breaking news alerts, and/or get a free daily newsletter at 6 a.m. each morning with local news. Sign up with your preferences here. Got news? Email [email protected]. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.