By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey is currently grappling with a powerful coastal storm, which has brought a mix of flooding, strong winds, and significant disruptions across the state.
The storm, a combination of two systems - one carrying a rainstorm from the west and another with heavy rain and wind from Florida - is proving to be more than just a nuisance, causing local street and highway closures, property damage, and expected to cause challenging conditions for the Monday morning commute.
Much of New Jersey narrowly escaped the brunt of the storm on Sunday, as most of the precipitation remained in the atmosphere and did not reach the ground. However, the situation escalated as the storm moved across the state.
The National Weather Service forecasts rain and possible thunderstorms before 1 p.m., followed by a chance of rain between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Some storms could produce heavy rainfall, with temperatures falling to around 51 degrees by 1 p.m.
A breezy south wind of 11 to 16 mph will shift westward, increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon, with gusts as high as 45 mph. The chance of precipitation stands at 100%, with new precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Newark Police have warned residents of potential flooding in many streets, advising drivers to avoid them.
Over a dozen roads, mainly in the East and South wards, are expected to flood or become impassable. As of Monday morning at 4 a.m., Frelinghuysen Avenue and Evergreen Avenue were among several roads closed due to flooding.
Additionally, police across the state have reported various incidents: US 46 West at Fairfield Road in Fairfield is closed due to downed wires and flooding; a large tree with wires down has closed westbound lanes on South Orange Avenue and Brookside Drive in Millburn; a transformer fire has led to the closure of Route 22's westbound lanes at Vaux Hall Road in Union; and in Tenafly, police reported wires down on Engle Street.
One of the major concerns is the wind, with gusts of about 40-45 mph.
This has contributed to approximately 19,000 power outages in NJ, with about 4200 homes and businesses being reported by PSEG officials. South Ward streets in Newark, especially Frelinghuysen Avenue, are worsening with flooding.
Residents are advised to stay informed and cautious as RLS Media tracks the storm hour by hour.