People were trapped in cars by rising water in several areas of Hunterdon on Sunday, July 31. Watch video
RARITAN TWP. -- At least 10 flood-related incidents occurred in Hunterdon on Sunday, including water rescues for people trapped in cars in Readington and Raritan townships.
The Flemington-Raritan Township area got 7.46 inches of rain between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, said Raritan Township Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Phelan.
"With the volume of rain that came down in such a short time, you hear that term flash flooding, and that's what we had," Phelan said on Monday.
"At one point over a dozen roads in the township were impacted, affected and closed." The South Branch of the Raritan River and the Neshanic River rose over their banks, affecting Kuhl, Dayton and Hampton Corner roads, River Road, Old Croton Road and more.
Drenched: N.J. rainfall totals
Raritan Township's OEM opened up with limited activation, and ended up temporarily sheltering four people from Pennsylvania whose vehicle was stranded on Old Croton Road.
The storm started Saturday evening around 6 or 7 p.m. and let up before picking up again around 10 or 11 p.m., Phelan said. The peak of the storm was between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday, with waters starting to recede around 1 to 2 p.m., he said. "By 5:30 p.m., all the roads were opened up except River Road, between Routes 31 and 523." Barricades were off that road Monday morning, he said.
Calls for rescues started around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
"We had several roads flood around Readington," said Readington Police Chief Sebastian Donaruma. "Route 22 near Merck, Route 629 between 523 and Cole Road, along with several other secondary roadways.
"We had two vehicles get trapped in the flooding at Route 629," Donaruma said. "Officers attempted to rescue the occupants of one of the vehicles, but the current was too strong." The car was trapped by water overflowing from Pleasant Run Creek. Responding to that call were the Readington Township Police, Whitehouse Rescue Squad, and Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad.
Shortly after 11 a.m., rescuers were called to River Road in Raritan Township, where a couple was trapped in a car on the road in the flooding waters.
Police officers waded into the water to reach the trapped car before the rescue crews arrived. Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad used its big Rescue Services Unit, a surplus military truck, to go into the water and transport everyone out.
A man from the car was transported to the hospital. Raritan Township Police responded, as did the Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad and Whitehouse Rescue Squad. Paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center also responded.
Readington officers were able to extract the driver of a second vehicle stuck on Route 629, Police Chief Donaruma said, adding, "There were no injuries to vehicle occupants or rescuers." That call about people trapped in a car on Pleasant Run Road, west of Coal Road, came in around 11:30 a.m. Whitehouse Rescue members walked and waded through the water to get to the car. Here again Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad used its big Rescue Services Unit to go into the water and transport everyone out.
Flooding water at this site was from the South Branch of the Raritan River. Responding to this call were the Readington Township, Whitehouse Rescue Squad, and Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad.
Around noon, there was a call for a water rescue for people trapped in a car in flooding waters on Old Croton Road in Raritan Township. They were rescued by responding crews and taken for temporary shelter at the township's OEM office.
Multiple roads throughout Hunterdon were flooded and not passable:
- Croton Road at Route 12, where water from the Wickecheoke Creek rose
- Springtown Road in Readington off Route 523, where Pleasant Run Creek overflowed its banks
- River Road in Readington off Route 523, with flooding water coming from the Assiscong Creek
- Dart's Mill Road in Raritan Township, where the South Branch of the Raritan River flooded into Dart's Mill Grove
- Payne Road in Clinton Township, east of Route 31
Sunday was a hectic day for area firefighters, too. "The fire company was kept very busy throughout the day pumping basements for people," Phelan said.
He warned residents that the rain's not over, and advised caution on area roads. "Don't drive through a barricade or through standing water where you can't see the pavement," Phelan said. "Turn around, go take shelter, and stay safe."
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find NJ.com on Facebook.