Somerset County Declares State of Emergency Due to High Winds and Rain

All Non-Essential Vehicles Should Stay Off Roads, Residents Should Shelter in Place For the Duration of the Storm.

By Barbara A. Preston | Posted January 9, 2024

Somerset County officials have declared a state of emergency due to severe wind, heavy rains, and localized flooding, according to a press release issued at 11 pm on January 9.

The State of Emergency will last for the duration of the storm. All non-essential travel should be curtailed, and only essential vehicles should be on the road, according to Somerset County Spokesperson Nathan Rudy.

For those who are already on the roads or who may be required to travel, the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management cautions drivers to respect road closures and never to drive into standing water.

"Even seemingly low waters could be masking damaged roads that may disable a vehicle, and rising waters could result in severe injuries and possibly death," according to the Emergency Management Office.

Residents may sign up to receive email and text messages regarding this and future emergency situation by visiting https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/about/emergency-alerts.

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Millstone River Flood Warning until 1 am Friday

As of 10:15 pm tonight (Tuesday), the Millstone River flood stage was 6.4 feet, according to the Somerset County Public Safety Office.

The Griggstown Causeway closes due to flooding at 6 feet. At 7 feet, several more causeways are closed due to flooding.

At 9 feet, flood stage reached with flooding now along River Road in Blackwells Mills and S. River Street in Millstone. Base of Route 533 bridge floods. River Road between Yorktown and Amsterdam is subject to closure. Canal Road near Suydam Road floods.

At 10 feet, The D&R Canal is flooded by the Millstone River. At 13 feet, Washington Street and several businesses in Rocky Hill are flooded.

The river is expected to rise above flood stage just after midnight tonight (Tuesday) to a crest of 13.2 feet tomorrow evening. It will then fall below flood stage Thursday evening.

Flood History—This crest compares to a previous crest of 13.2 feet on 12/21/1973. Visit http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood for more information.

River Road (County Route 605 in Montgomery Township at the Princeton border) was closed Tuesday night due to flooding.

New Jersey Governor Declares State of Emergency

Governor Phil Murphy declared that New Jersey entered a State of Emergency effective at 5 pm on Tuesday, January 9 because of severe storms causing hazardous weather conditions including heavy rain, high winds, and flash flooding.

Executive Order No. 350 declares a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey, basically allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm.

“Continuing through Wednesday morning, we are expecting one to four inches of heavy rain, strong winds, and potential inland and coastal flooding,” said Governor Murphy. “This storm will exacerbate the effects of the inclement conditions we experienced in December and this past weekend and may precede another storm Friday night. As always, I urge all New Jerseyans to follow all safety protocols and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”

The Governor encourages New Jerseyans to visit ready.nj.gov for important weather updates and safety information. The U.S. National Weather Service at Mount Holly is also a helpful resource at https://www.weather.gov/phi/.