An Inch Of Rain Could Still Leave Parsippany Flooded Wednesday

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The good news? Officials don't expect Parsippany to get 6 inches of rain again. However, even an inch or two could leave the town with more flooding into Thursday.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida pummelled nearly all of New Jersey last week. But the storm left Parsippany especially hard-hit in terms of precipitation. The area received at least 400 percent more rain than normal over the past week.

The National Weather Service projects that Parsippany will get a half-inch to an inch of rain Wednesday into Thursday. That's significantly less than the 6 inches reported after Ida passed through. Read more: Parsippany Gets 6 Inches Of Rain, Major Roads Flooded

But since the grounds remain heavily saturated, a brief, heavy rainfall of 1 or 2 inches could quickly lead to flooding. Last week, the flooding closed major roadways, including New Road, exits and the bridge to Montville.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of North Jersey, including the Parsippany area, that lasts from 4 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday, with the last four hours representing the "primary window of concern."

Here's the forecast for Parsippany as of 2 p.m. Wednesday:

• Wednesday afternoon: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Wednesday night: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
• Thursday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then a chance of showers between 9am and 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 59. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

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