Rockaway River under flood warning, thousands still in dark as storms blast Morris, Sussex

Parts of Morris and Sussex counties remained under flood watches and warnings Tuesday afternoon − with the Rockaway River expected to crest more than a foot above flood stage − after intense rain continued their barrage on the region.

JCP&L said about 3,000 customers remained without power as of 5 p.m., down from almost 50,000 who were left in the dark after thunderstorms barreled through northwest New Jersey on Monday, including than 1,200 Morris County customers. The National Weather Service said parts of the area could see as much as 3 more inches of rain on Tuesday.

That followed a deluge that began Friday and has poured almost 6 inches of rain on some communities since then, according to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a volunteer group of weather spotters.

Jeffrey Paul, director of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, said the county's 911 responders handled more than 1,500 calls or events between 3 p.m. and midnight Monday.

Story continues below gallery

"It was a busy night with roadway flooding, trees and wires down, entrapped individuals in vehicles, motor vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, fire responses and roadways blocked by debris," Paul said. "It’s safe to say that the majority of our Morris County municipalities were impacted in some way. It was a team effort all the way around."

How much rain did Morris, Sussex get?

Randolph topped the list in Morris County with 4.95 inches recorded on Tuesday, followed by Chester Township (4.64 inches) and flood-prone Denville (4.62 inches.) Boonton received 2.22 inches from Friday to Sunday before enduring another 3.65 inches on Monday.

Another 3.8 inches were reported in High Point, 2.72 inches in Wantage and 3.28 inches in Sparta.

Rockaway River flood warning

The Weather Service declared a flood warning for the Rockaway River in Morris County below Boonton, and predicted waters would crest at 6.3 feet above normal, well above the flood stage of 5 feet. The warning is in effect until just after midnight on Wednesday, the agency said.

The rain, accompanied by lightning and intense winds in some areas, also caused extensive power outages. JCP&L spokesperson Chris Hoenig said the storms affected nearly 50,000 customers, "almost entirely in our northern New Jersey service area."

When will power be restored?

"Somerset, Warren and Morris counties were the hardest hit, especially the Bernardsville area.," Hoening said. "We started the morning with about 4,800 customers still out, with 92% of customers affected restored. That number may fluctuate a bit as some customers may have to have power turned off to safely make repairs along lines."

Hoening said emergency crews were still clearing extensive tree damage Tuesday morning.

"Forestry crews at one point had to bring in a crane to assist in removing a large tree that came down on lines," Hoening said. "In other areas, we’ve had to use bulldozers to create access for trucks to reach damage to make repairs."

Some customers may have to wait until Wednesday before their power is restored, he said.

The Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative, which covers parts of northern Sussex and neighboring towns in New York, had about 236 outages as of midday Tuesday. But its outage map listed all customers as back online by late afternoon.

Morris road closures

Throughout the day, police and other emergency responders advised residents of forecasts and trouble spots caused by the storms. The Morris County Office of Emergency Management began sharing flood warnings at 4:04 a.m. on Monday, which were extended to 2 a.m. Tuesday. Those advisories also warned of wind gusts of up to 55 mph.

Flooding and road ponding increased during the day. Police in Dover, another flood-prone community, advised of several road closures including the intersection of Blackwell and South Salem streets.

"The roads are barricaded and cones are placed to keep vehicles out of danger," Dover police advised on social media. "We have already had to rescue two vehicles from flood water since the flooding began."

Along the banks of the Rockaway River, Denville police advised, "residents who live in flood-prone areas should be aware of the possibility for flooding, monitor rising water levels, and be prepared to take necessary action should flooding occur. Any residents in need of assistance to safely leave their homes should contact the Denville Police if needed."

Staff writer Kyle Morel contributed to this article.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Intense NJ storms leave thousands without power