Tornadoes, Flooding Prompt NJ State Of Emergency

Toms River NJ

01 September, 2021

10:28 PM

Description

Updated, 12:30 a.m. TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency across New Jersey Wednesday night as Tropical Storm Ida wreaked havoc, spawning powerful tornadoes and significant flash flooding from south to north. There were vehicles caught in flooded streets in several towns, and at least one fatality in the city of Passaic as a result of a person being trapped, according to multiple reports. In Trenton, Mayor Reed Gusciora ordered a partial evacuation of the city over flooding concerns. Newark Liberty International Airport halted all flights and New Jersey Transit halted all rail service except for the Atlantic City line. Rutgers University delayed classes at its campuses in New Brunswick and Newark, and Seton Hall University canceled classes completely. Even the New Jersey Turnpike was shut down, as flooding blocked the road in both directions just south of Exit 12 in Carteret, halting traffic for several hours. More than 88,000 homes and businesses were without electricity as of 11:55 p.m. Wednesday as wind and rain brought down trees and power lines. Click here to get Patch email notifications with the latest updates on the storm. Executive Order No. 259 declares a State of Emergency across all 21 counties, allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm, Murphy said. "Tropical Storm Ida is severely impacting all areas of our state," Murphy said. "The safety of our residents is our main priority, and we urge everyone to be informed of local weather conditions and to stay off the roads." Flooding shut down Newark Liberty International Airport: "We're experiencing severe flooding due to tonight's storm. All flight activity is currently suspended & travelers are strongly advised to contact their airline for the latest flight & service resumption information. Passengers are being diverted from ground-level flooded areas," airport officials tweeted. Read more: Video Shows Newark Airport Flooding In Storm; Flights Suspended New Jersey Transit suspended all rail service except for the Atlantic City line because of the flooding: "All light rail & buses are subject to suspensions, detours, and delays due to widespread weather issues. Please follow your line accounts for all continued service updates," NJ Transit said in a tweet. Flash flooding closed roads across northern New Jersey, including shutting down the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 12 in both directions for several hours. Drivers stuck waiting for the road to clear shut off their vehicles while they waited, a witness said. In Passaic, Mayor Hector Lora told The Weather Channel that more than one person had died as a result of flooding that was 5 feet deep in places. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora confirms to The Weather Channel that there are flood fatalities. Urges everyone to stay indoors. Ongoing water rescues with 5 feet of water in places.— Mike Bettes (@mikebettes) September 2, 2021 Trenton residents were being evacuated from lowlying areas along the Delaware River north of the state Capitol section of the city. The Delaware River was forecast to rise above flood stage by Friday. Electricity was being shut off to buildings in the evacuation zone as of 8 a.m., a letter to affected Trenton residents said. An emergency shelter was set up at a nearby school. Rutgers University announced classes at the New Brunswick and Newark campuses would be delayed until 1 p.m. Thursday, because of flooding. Video posted to Reddit showed flooding in a dorm at the Newark campus. "Employees who can work from home should do so and should alert their supervisors," the university said. "Employees deemed essential will be told where and when to report by their supervisors." Seton Hall University canceled all of Thursday's classes due to the flooding: "Pirate Alert! Due to excessive rain and flooding, Seton Hall's South Orange, Newark, and Nutley campuses will be closed Thursday, September 2. All day and evening classes are canceled," the university tweeted. It urged students to stay indoors and out of floodwaters. Flood warnings were continuing to go out across the northern part of the state late Wednesday night as Ida continued to move north, and officials and the National Weather Service urged people to avoid driving through flood waters. This is extremely dangerous and potentially deadly flash flooding ongoing in Somerset County, as well as others in the area. Please do not drive into flood waters. https://t.co/2BABdmw8LN— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) September 2, 2021 Ida arrived in New Jersey late Wednesday afternoon and wreaked havoc, spawning a powerful tornado in Mullica Hill that damaged a number of homes. Videos tweeted out showed walls and roofs ripped off, and some homes flattened. Another video showed two silos at a farm in the area knocked over. Read more: VIDEOS: Confirmed Tornado Rips Through South Jersey "Gloucester County has experienced devastating storm damage," the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management said in a social media post. "It is likely that multiple tornadoes have touched down within our communities." From Gloucester County, the severe thunderstorms moved north into Burlington and Mercer counties, and the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency declaration for Trenton — a rare event in the Northeast that was the result of the tornado that ripped through Mullica Hill showing signs of re-forming as it approached the state capital. Read more: Tornado Confirmed In Middlesex, Flash Flood Warning In Mercer Tornado Emergency including Trenton NJ, Levittown PA, Hamilton Square NJ until 7:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/XqZp0amdv0— NWS Tornado (@NWStornado) September 1, 2021 As Mercer County residents were being told to take cover because of the tornado emergency, the National Weather Service also issued warnings about flash flooding across the area. In Lambertville, flash flooding left a number of vehicles under water. 100 year flash flooding in Lambertville NJ…. pic.twitter.com/k6AAU48lqV— Pearl Gabel (@PearlGabel) September 2, 2021 In Secaucus, flood waters left cars under water and prompted residents to compare the effects to Superstorm Sandy, which devastated towns along the Jersey coast in October 2012. The Holland Tunnel was closed due to flooding, and roads in nearby Carteret were under water as well. Read more: Secaucus Residents: 'This Is Sandy 2.0' In Middlesex County, drivers had to be pulled from flooded cars in South Brunswick, and multiple roads were closed in New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Read more: Turnpike In Carteret Flooded, Plus Iselin, New Brunswick Roads Flash flood warnings were expected to remain in effect until at least 4 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. BREAKING: Flooding right now in Short Hills, New Jersey. This is downtown! Gov. Murphy declares state of emergency due to tropical storm #Ida. #njwx pic.twitter.com/0EWWfqHRpZ— Tena Ezzeddine (@TenaNYCLA) September 2, 2021