Lightning Strikes Home, Rivers Flood, Roads Closed In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — It was a busy night for first responders handling a lightning strike on a home and calls associated with water. Many rivers remain flooded and roadways remain closed Friday morning in Somerset County.

At 8:58 p.m. on Thursday, the Finderne Volunteer Fire Department was called to a home on Park Avenue in Bridgewater that was hit by lightning.

"We checked the house and did not locate any hazards due to the strike," said Fire Chief Tom Marshall.

Firefighters also reported helping with a car stuck in the water.

Liberty Corner Fire Company also responded to a water rescue at 9:16 p.m.

At 3:55 p.m. on Thursday, Hillsborough Firefighters also responded to a crash on the Route 206 bypass.

Hillsborough Police said it was a minor accident involving a tractor-trailer and SUV that was blocking the northbound lanes between Hillsborough Rd and the Service Road.

There were minor injuries associated with the crash with one person taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital-New Brunswick.

Roads

As of Friday at 7:30 a.m., many roadways in Somerset County remain closed due to flooding including:

• Studdiford Drive between South Branch Road and River Road in Branchburg
• Burnt Mills Road between Deerfield Trail in Branchburg into Bedminster
• Old York Road from Bridgewater to Branchburg
• Griggstown Causeway in Montgomery
• Blackpoint Road in Hillsborough
• Opie Road Bridge in Hillsborough
• Dukes Parkway East between Kimberly and Taylor Avenue in Hillsborough
• Blackwells Mills Causeway
• River Road and Roycefield north into Raritan
• Studdiford Bridge in Hillsborough
• Millstone River Road between Amsterdam Drive and Yorktown in Hillsborough
• River Road in Montgomery between Blue Spring and Princeton Road

Rivers

As of 7:30 a.m. several rivers remain flooded. The Millstone River at Griggstown is in the moderate flood stage at 13.91 feet - just under major flooding at 15 feet.

The North Branch River at South Branch is in the moderate flood stage at 10.44 feet just below major flooding at 11 feet.

The Raritan River at Manville is in the moderate flood stage at 15 feet below major flooding at 17 feet.

The Raritan River at Bound Brook is in the moderate flood stage at 28.85 feet below major flooding at 30 feet.

The Lamington (Black) River at Burnt Mills is in the action stage at 10.73 feet below minor flooding at 11 feet.

The Passaic River at Millington is in the action stage at 7.21 feet below minor flooding at 8 feet.

Upcoming forecast

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Scattered showers, mainly after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. West wind around 5 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. West wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

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