Heavy Rain Causes Some Flooding In Cranford

While some towns in the northwestern part of the state were bracing for the possibility of snow showers, residents of Cranford were once again watching their streets flood as heavy rains and wind pummeled the area Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

At about 9:40 p.m., reports indicated that some streets in Cranford were being shut down due to flooding conditions. The Union County Police Department was contacted to assist local police with street closures. would not indicate exacty which streets were flooded. Local officials could not be reached for comment.

Thursday morning, reports from the National Weather Service indicate that more than two inches of rain fell in Cranford. Residents, many of whom are still repairing homes ravaged by the flood waters from August's Hurricane Irene, had no alternative but to watch and wait for the overnight rains to slow down.

Standing water on several streets, including the area near West End Place, made driving difficult. Residents responding to a post on Cranford Patch's Facebook page indicated that there was flooding on Sheerer Street. In addition, streets such as Hillcrest, Roger, Lexington and Burnside Avenues also had standing water. Residents believed one of the reasons for the flooding on those roadways was due to leaves blocking the storm drains.

Behind the Cranford Canoe Club, the river had risen to the top of the bulkheads by about 10:30 p.m. as the rain continued to fall. The majority of streets in the municipality, including the downtown area, remained clear.

In neighboring towns, such as Clark, the water had risen to almost a foot in the middle of the road between Valley Road in Clark and Stiles Street in Linden. Road closures were reported throughout the state, including parts of on the Garden State Parkway and nearby Route 27. The lingering storm is expected to dump about 2 inches of rain on some parts of the state before changing to snow as colder air moves in for parts of northwest Jersey.

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