Flooding Not as Bad as Anticipated

The overnight flooding was less than feared with the storm more closely resembling the 1992 than the large scale Tax Day 2007 flood or 1999 Hurricane Floyd flood.

Flood waters started to recede shortly after 1 a.m. with many roads remaining impassible. The emergency shelter set up at Orange Avenue School had around a dozen individuals for the night, many veterans of the shelters set up at OAS during the 1999 and 2007 floods.

The OAS parking lot was packed as many in the flood zone moved their cars in the late afternoon following police warnings regarding potential flood conditions.

The police command center on Claremont Place remained a beehive of activity during the evening. While police rescue boats were readied to transport flood victims to dry ground, the water remained low enough to allow front end loaders to handle the evacuations. Early evacuations were conducted via police SUV until the water rose. During the 2007 flood, evacuations were conducted using the police boats.

Flood waters could be seen on many streets around town, with the blocks surrounding Casino Avenue among the hardest hit during the afternoon and early evening hours. The roadways were reopened around midnight, as many streets had water conditions but were passable. 

Springfield Avenue between West End Place and Dreyer Farms was blocked off due to flooding conditions in the early morning hours.

The lake in Nomahegan Park consumed most of the park overnight with the gazebo being covered in roughly a foot of water. A group of deer was waiting standing on the side of Springfield Avenue across from Union County College, having been flooded out of the woods.

Parts of the parking lot behind the Municipal Building were covered in flood waters with the picnic tables buried and access blocked by the water to the gazebo. The nearby Rahway River dam on North Union Avenue was barely visible in the high waters. Rushing rapids over the dam were seen in the swift current.