Former Freehold Resident Among NJ People Who Died In Ida Floods

FREEHOLD, NJ — A 40-year-old man raised in Freehold was one of the 30 victims who died in New Jersey from tropical storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Matthew Weber was living in Piscataway at the time of his death, having recently moved there from the Jersey Shore. He worked as a mental health specialist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care in Piscataway, according to his obituary.

Weber was last seen at around 11 p.m. on Sept 1 in Piscataway.

Police suspect he was caught up in the current as he was walking home from work on the sidewalk on River Road, according to MyCentralJersey.com.

He was reported missing the next day and found dead at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 in the area of River Road and Baekeland Avenue in Middlesex Borough, police told the online publication.

People who knew Weber remember his willingness to help others in need, according to his obituary.

"He felt that it gave him great purpose in life to live his life in service of others. We will all miss him being one phone call away but the advice and mentorship that he gave us all will live on," it reads.

Weber also loved adventure and outdoor sports.

"If Matthew wasn’t working he could be found surfing down at the Shore, Snowboarding up north or skateboarding anywhere he could find a rail. He found peace and tranquility in the beauty of the ocean as well as the mountains," the obituary says. "Matthews' biggest love however was his beautiful niece and goddaughter Mia."

Weber leaves behind his two parents and brother, as well as a niece, maternal grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.

A total of 30 New Jersey residents have died from storm Ida, according to numbers released by Gov. Murphy this week.

New Jersey was the state with the highest death toll, but there were no deaths in Monmouth county, which was mostly spared from flooding.