Manville Closes Schools On Wednesday Due To Expected Flooding

MANVILLE, NJ — Manville Schools will be closed on Wednesday due to an abundance of caution, and in collaboration with the Manville Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Manville Police Department, the Manville School District.

"This decision is based on the most recent data which forecasts moderate flooding that is expected to crest during school hours making certain roads in our community impassable," said Superintendent Jamil Maroun.

All after-school programs and activities will be postponed until a later date.

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm going into effect across the state at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The Raritan River and Millstone River are expected to hit "moderate" flood levels.

Moderate flooding is defined by the NWS as "some inundation of structures and roads near stream. Some evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher elevations."

The Raritan River in Manville and the Raritan River in Bound Brook are both expected to hit the moderate flood stage: The river in Manville will rise to 17.8 feet by Wednesday afternoon, and the river in Bound Brook will rise to 31.8 feet by noon on Wednesday.

AccuWeather meteorologists even warn of "dangerous to life-threatening conditions" stemming from rapid flooding, downed trees, high winds and darkness Tuesday night.

Power outages could be widespread and long-lasting, especially in remote areas, AccuWeather added, with the most ferocious wind gusts expected to happen overnight.

Somerset County was previously hit hard in mid-December as well, as rivers hit "major" and "moderate" flood stages. Read More: Rushing Rivers Flood Roads, Parks In Bridgewater: Videos, Photos

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