Weekend Super Soaker Prompts Flood Watch In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A flood watch was issued for Somerset County ahead of rain expected to soak the area this weekend.

The National Weather Service(NWS) issued the watch from 1 p.m. on Saturday through 9 p.m. on Sunday.

A low-pressure system will bring rain, heavy at times, beginning sometime after 10 a.m. on Saturday and continuing through Saturday night.

A predicted 1 to 2 inches of rainfall is forecast within the Flood Watch area which will be in addition to the multiple rounds of rainfall the area has experienced over the past week.

"This is likely to bring several river gauges into flood stage across the Passaic, Raritan, and Rancocas basins by Sunday," according to the NWS.

Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

"Creeks and streams are running high and may rise out of their banks and could flood with more heavy rain. Flooding may also occur in poor drainage and urban areas," according to the NWS.

Here is a look at the weekend forecast in Somerset County:

Saturday: Rain, mainly after 10 a.m. High near 46. East wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Rain before 10 p.m., then rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 10pm and 4 a.m., then rain likely after 4 a.m. Low around 44. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 20 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Sunday: Rain likely before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Windy.

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