Ida Leaves Behind Over 6 Inches Of Rain In Mendham, Chester

MENDHAM, NJ — Exceeding the expectations of the initial predictions, the remnants of Ida left her wrath on Mendham and Chester, with over six inches of rain and flooding in the aftermath.

With floods, downed trees and wires, making some roads impossible to navigate, schools were closed throughout the area, the Chester School District making an announcement on its website on Thursday morning.

The West Morris Regional High School District also had an alert on its website that its entire district was closed on Thursday.

As skies started to clear on Thursday morning, the State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection's Water Monitoring and Standards measured 6.07 inches of rain over 48 hours at 8 a.m., at the Primrose Brook at Morristown National Historic Park, near Mendham and Chester, 5.80 inches there within 24 hours. The North Branch Raritan River location registered slightly higher at 6.37 inches, 6.07 of those within a 24-hour period.

Officials from Mendham Borough asked residents to stay off the roads because of extreme flooding, during the course of the storm, until it tapered off and waters receded.

Chester Township urged the same, listing a number of roads flooded in both the Chester and Mendham areas, noting the Union Schoolhouse Bridge was submerged.

Late Wednesday night in Chester Township, Old Mill Road was closed because a tree had dropped, taking down circuits with it.

At about 2 a.m. on Thursday, Mendham Township Mayor Sarah Neibart updated residents that the Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, Brookside Engine Company and Ralston Engine Company, Mendham Township First Aid Squad and Department of Public Works were working to deal with issues following the storm. At that time, many roads were unnavigable, Neibart said, either because of flooding, downed trees or downed power lines, in some cases, two or more issues at once.

Neibart said that Mendham Township residents or business owners who need help with pumping water from their homes or business location, should dial the police department’s non-emergency number at 973-543-2581, then hit zero to speak to a dispatcher.

She cautioned that residents who see a downed tree or wire should not go near either and need to call 911 right away instead.

Early Thursday afternoon, Mendham Township Police provided an update on social media about the status of the work in the post-storm aftermath and roads still closed.

As of Thursday morning, a small number of power outages were in Chester Borough and Township, as well as Mendham Borough, with more than 200 without power in Mendham Township, or over nine percent, according to JCP&L. There was no restoration time available for those without power as of Thursday morning.

For residents or businesses that need to report a power outage or hazardous situations because of this storm, they can contact JCP&L at 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS) or click here.

For JCP&L's current outage details, click here.

To follow the social media updates on storm recovery or to contact the police departments within Chester or Mendham, see the following:

Chester Police - 908-879-5514
Mendham Borough Police - 973-543-2527
Mendham Township Police - 973-543-2581

Chester Borough
Chester Township
Mendham Borough
Mendham Township

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.