Cranford Police Send Out Flash Flood Warning For Union County – Cranford, NJ Patch

CRANFORD AND WESTFIELD, NJ — A week after Tropical Storm Isaias downed trees and left 1.3 million state residents without power, local police notified residents of more harsh weather on the way on Thursday morning.

The Cranford police sent an alert Thursday morning noting that: “The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for… Hudson County in northeastern New Jersey… Union County in northeastern New Jersey… Southeastern Essex County in northeastern New Jersey… Richmond County in southeastern New York…until 11:15 am.”

The NWS warning mentioned that “Some locations that will experience flooding include… Jersey City, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Plainfield, Linden, Todt Hill, Clark, Union, Tompkinsville, Port Richmond, Westfield, Rahway, Scotch Plains, Cranford and Hillside. Additional rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches are possible in the warned area.”

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The alert said, “At 9:14 a.m., Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Up to one inch of rain has already fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.”

The impact could be “Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage and low lying areas.”

Report a power outage directly to PSE&G by calling 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) or by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734). Review storm preparation tips; visit https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety.

Don’t drive through floods

The police said: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low lying spots. Please report flooding to your local law enforcement agency when you can do so safely. A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. If you are in the warned area move to higher ground immediately. Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate precautions to protect life and property.”

Stay away from downed wires

Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything it might be in contact with. If a wire falls on or near your car, stay inside the car, call 911, and do not get out until PSEG de-energizes the line. If you MUST get out of the vehicle because it is on fire, jump as far as possible away from the vehicle, with both feet landing on the ground at the same time, and hop or shuffle away.

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