State Of Emergency Lifted In Somerset County, Flooding Remains In Some Areas

Updated as of 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Route 206 has reopened in both directions following flooding in the area.

The Somerset County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has rescinded the State of Emergency.

The County thanked "the people of Somerset County for their consideration and care taken during this severe weather incident."

"We would like to offer our gratitude to the municipal OEMs and many first responders who worked so hard and for so many hours to ensure the safety and security of their residents," said the County.

Flood Gates/River Flooding

As of 4:30 p.m., the Raritan River in Bound Brook appears to have hit its peak and is starting to recede on Wednesday.

The river remains in the major flood stage at 33.7 feet.

The Raritan River at Manville has crested. The river dropped from the major flood stage to the moderate flood stage, which is below 20 feet.

The North Branch River at South Branch has also been receding. The river dropped from the major flood stage to under 11 feet in the moderate flood stage.

While some rivers are receding, the Millstone River at Griggstown remains at the major flood stage and has risen slightly to 15.96 feet.

Anyone with photos of flooding can send them to alexis.tarrazi@patch.com with the location of the photos and your name for credit. Photos may be used in coverage.

Due to the flooding, the Somerset County Parks Commission closed Duke Island Park, Natirar, North Branch Park, South Branch Greenway Trail, & Raritan River Greenway Trail due to flooding on Wednesday.

The entire Duke Island Park is underwater. See the video below:

"Despite the rains letting up, many of our creeks, streams, and rivers will not crest until this afternoon. Localized flooding will continue into the afternoon, and drivers should continue to obey road closures and avoid ANY standing water," according to Somerset County.

The Raritan River is up against the Basilone Bridge and Nevius Bridge as of 10 a.m. causing bother to close on Wednesday. See the video below:

Most Somerset County services will operate as scheduled, but those below are working on a limited or adjusted basis. If a service or department is not listed below, it is currently operating as normal.

• Somerset County Clerk - Will be open until 4 p.m., with extended Wednesday hours suspended. Extended Wednesday hours will return on Wednesday, January 17.
• Richard Hall Community Health & Wellness Center -- Will be open as scheduled, but all appointed will be held remotely.
• Youth Services - The Office of Youth Services and the Family Crisis Intervention Unit will be closed today but all staff will be available remotely. The Family Crisis Intervention Unit can be reached at 908-704-6330 and the Planning Unit can be reached at 908-704-6333.

Multiple Somerset County rivers are already at the major flood stage prompting Somerset County to issue a State of Emergency that remains in effect for the duration of the storm.

"All non-essential travel should be curtailed, and only essential vehicles should be on the road," according to the County.

For those who are already on the roads or may be required to travel, the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management cautions drivers to respect road closures and never to drive into standing water. Even seemingly low waters could be masking damaged roads that may disable a vehicle, and rising waters could result in severe injuries and possibly death.

Outages

PSE&G is reporting 1,127 customers without power on Wednesday. The majority of the outages are reported in Bound Brook, Franklin, Hillsborough, and Montgomery.

JCP&L is reporting more than 339 without power in Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardsville, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, and Warren.

Road Closures

Here is the list of road closures as of 1:30 p.m.

• Basking Ridge - Acken Rd south of Spring Valley Blvd at Warren Township line
• Basking Ridge - Lord Stirling Road at the Long Hill Township line
• Bedminster - All lanes on Route 206 on the northbound ramp to River Road
• Bedminster - Burnt Mills Rd Closed from Rattlesnake Rd to Cowperthwaite Rd
• Branchburg - Opie Road Blackpoint Road/Hillsborough Border
• Branchburg - Woodfern Road/Hillsborough Border
• Branchburg/Hillsborough - Studdiford Bridge
• Branchburg/Bridgewater - 2 Bridges Old York Road between Branchburg and Bridgewater
• Bridgewater - Shephard Avenue and Southside Avenue
• Bridgewater - Old York Road from Chestnut Street to Woodmere Avenue (REOPENED)
• Bridgewater/Raritan - Old York Road Between Woodmere Street in Raritan Borough and Chestnut St in Bridgewater Township
• Franklin - Easton Ave. between JFK Blvd and Foxwood Dr.
• Green Brook - Washington Avenue
• Hillsborough/Raritan - Route 206 North between Somerset Street and Dukes Parkway East
• Hillsborough - River rd at Blackpoint
• Hillsborough - Montgomery rd by bridge
• Hillsborough - Three Bridges rd at Elm St bridge
• Hillsborough - Hockenbury Rd between Amwell rd and Three Bridges rd
• Hillsborough - River rd at Opie
• Hillsborough - Clawson ave between 1st and 4th
• Hillsborough - Riverside dr. between Mill lane and Clawson
• Hillsborough - River rd at Mill Lane
• Hillsborough - Blackwells Mills
• Hillsborough - Kilmer dr at Michelle rd, downed tree
• Hillsborough - Willow rd at the Montgomery border, pole fire
• Hillsborough - Dukes Parkway East between Johanson Avenue and Route 206
• Hillsborough - Dukes Parkway East between Kimberly Road and Taylor Avenue
• Hillsborough - Amwell Road between Blackpoint Road and Long Hill Road
• Hillsborough - River Road between Roycefield Road and Beekman Lane
• Hillsborough - Millstone River Road between Amsterdam and Yorktown Road
• Franklin/Montgomery - Griggstown Causeway
• Manville - Main Street Underpass is flooded. Main Street is now closed between Brooks Blvd. and South Street.
• Montgomery - Millstone River Road between Dead Tree Run and Bridgeport Road
• Montgomery - Millstone River Road between Staats Farm Road and Belle Mead Griggstown Road
• Raritan - Basilone Bridge
• Raritan - Orlando Drive
• Warren - Dead River Road
• South Bound Brook - Main Street between Reid St and Franklin Twp.

Some traffic lights are also not working in Montgomery:

• Route 206 at Harlingen Road
• Route 206 at Sunset Road
• Route 601 at Montgomery High School
• Route 601 at Route 518

Bridgewater Township Senior Center will also be closed on Wednesday. Normal operations will resume on Thursday

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