Homes Evacuated On Flooded Road After Rain Pummels Burlington County

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Several residents voluntarily evacuated from their homes Monday on a flooded Burlington County roadway. Although the harsh weather has passed, officials urged caution following a storm that brought nearly 5 inches of rain to the region.

Rising floodwaters prompted four residential evacuations on East Mae Lane in Southampton. Vehicles were also relocated from a lot next to the Burlington County Administrative Building in Mount Holly.

Tabernacle experienced 4.77 inches inches of rain during the 24-hour period that ended at 3:45 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The federal agency reported at least 3 inches of precipitation throughout much of the county. (View rainfall totals below.)

Several roadways remained closed because of flooding as of late Monday afternoon, according to county and state officials:

• Church Road at Kirby’s Mill in Medford.
• Bayberry Street between East and West Lakeshore Drives in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township.
• Main Street in the Vincentown section of Southampton.
• Route 73 from Route 537 to Route 609 in Maple Shade.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, 223 homes and businesses in the county lack power, according to PSE&G. The outages include 128 customers in Bordentown, with the utility company expecting power restored by around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Officials urged motorists to use caution and avoid driving through flooded roads. Crews continue to assess conditions on county roads and bridges, working with first responders to mark closures, according to County Commissioner Deputy Director Tom Pullion.

"While we're grateful for their hard work, motorists still need to be careful and avoid flooded areas," Pullion said. "The message 'turn around, don't drown' is something we always want to emphasize because as little as a few inches of moving water can be dangerous."

Here are the county's highest 24-hour rain totals, according to the NWS (preliminary results as of 3:45 p.m. Monday):

• Tabernacle: 4.88 inches
• Shamong: 4.28 inches
• Red Lion: 4.27 inches
• Silas Little: 3.72 inches
• Oswego Lake: 3.65 inches

Here's the NWS's latest forecast for Burlington County:

• Rest of Monday afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a steady temperature around 50. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.