Flash Flood Watch Issued For Parsippany As Ida Approaches

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A flash flood watch has been issued in Parsippany as the remnants of Hurricane Ida pass through the area on Wednesday and into Thursday.

Residents should expect periods of heavy rain, resulting in widespread rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches, with locally higher amounts possible, according to the Morris County Office of Emergency Management.

Most of the rain may fall in a short period of time, exacerbating the flooding threat, according to the National Weather Service. Combined with the already wet and saturated ground this could lead to numerous instances of flash flooding.

Flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas, and poor drainage areas is likely in the areas of heaviest rain. Water is likely to cover the roads, especially in low-lying areas.

Those who lose power are encouraged to report their outage to Jersey Central Power & Light. Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), click the “Report Outage” link on www.firstenergycorp.com or text “OUT” to 544487. Customers should immediately report downed wires to 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or call their local police department/911 for emergency issues.

"We have been in touch with our partners at Jersey Central Power & Light and they have assured us that they are staffed and ready to respond to any outages caused by this storm," said Jeffrey S. Paul, director of Morris County's Office of Emergency Management. "Flood mitigation protocols are also in place for any JCP&L properties susceptible to flooding."

Here's the forecast for Parsippany as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service:

• Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 72. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
• Wednesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds and heavy rain. Low around 60. North wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts in excess of 4 inches possible.
• Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then a slight chance of showers between 9am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

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