Power Outage in Woodbridge, NJ

A severe thunderstorm tore down a couple of trees across central and northern Middlesex County. A tree was knocked down on Main Street in Spotswood Borough. One tree was knocked down onto a vehicle in East Brunswick Township. A couple of large tree limbs and wires were knocked down in Woodbridge Township. About 13,000 homes and businesses lost power throughout Public Service Electric and Gas's service area.

In Middlesex County, nearly every municipality suffered flood damage or had roads closed due to flooding. Many major roads were flooded including U.S. Routes 1 and 9 and New Jersey State Routes 18 and 27. Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated and 129 homes suffered severe damage. A 52-year-old man drowned in Woodbridge after he drove his vehicle into a flooded underpass (Leesville Avenue). The three other family members in the car were able to be saved. Many sewage treatment plants were overwhelmed and raw sewage backed into police stations and basements of homes. |In Carteret Borough, 25 roads were closed. In Woodbridge Township, about 300 people were evacuated. The Queens Gardens Apartment Complex and the Ideal Mobile Home were evacuated. Flooding occurred along both the Woodbridge Creek and the Rahway River. The worst flooding occurred in the Avenel section of the township. In Edison Township, twelve units of the Evergreen Apartments were evacuated. A train track bed washed away, even a food pantry was flooded. In South Plainfield Borough, five homes were evacuated. There were about a half dozen vehicular water rescues. A retaining wall collapsed behind a Sears store on Oaktree Road. |In Middlesex Borough, homes on Cap Lane, 7th Street, Rock Lane, Weiss Drive and residents of the Park Brook Gardens Apartment were evacuated. About 300 homes were damaged by the flooding. In Dunellen Borough, people were evacuated from homes on Mountaiview Terrace, Orange and Front Streets. About 30 homes were damaged. In Piscataway Township, about 300 people were evacuated and 8 roadways were closed. The Bridge for the New Market Pond collapsed. The flooding's epicenter was around River Road. The Mayflower, Birchview and Rivercrest Apartments were evacuated. |In New Brunswick, major traffic headaches occurred because of the Raritan River flooding of New Jersey State Route 18. The Interchange 9 exit was closed on the New Jersey Turnpike. Rutgers University cancelled classes on both the 16th and 17th. In Sayreville Borough, residents along Weber Avenue and near the Old Bridge section near the South River were evacuated. In South River Borough, evacuations occurred around the Causeway Bridge and Water Street. About 75 homes were flooded. In Milltown Borough, a flooded substation caused 7,000 people to lose power. The borough's post office suffered extensive flood damage. The Lawrence Brook flooded.|In East Brunswick, evacuations occurred on their side of Old Bridge near the South River. In South Brunswick, limited evacuations occurred at the Oakdale Mobile Home near U.S. Route 1. Flood waters tore away chunks of U.S. Route 1. About 50 dogs were rescued from a flooded kennel. Eighteen roads were closed and thirty-six homes were flooded. In Monroe Township, nine families were evacuated from the Mill Lake Manor section. Fifteen roadways were closed. In Cranbury Township, Brainard Lake overflowed. In Plainsboro Township, so many roads were flooded that the township was practically an island until the 17th.|The Raritan River at Bound Brook (Somerset County) was above its 28 foot flood stage from 644 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 350 p.m. on the 17th. It crested at 38.38 feet at 1245 p.m. EDT on the 16th. It was the 2nd highest crest on record, second only to the crest from Hurricane Floyd on September 17th, 1999. The Bound Brook at Middlesex was above its 9 foot flood stage from 655 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 717 p.m. EDT on the 16th. It crested at 12.1 feet at 315 a.m. EDT on the 16th.|Precipitation totals included 7.01 inches in Deans and 5.63 inches in Metuchen.|