UPDATED with flash flood warning, and info from Morris County Emergency Management:
The National Weather Service has added a tornado watch to Greater Morristown’s flash flood watch.
Also, a flash flood warning was issued Wednesday evening, Sept. 1, 2021, for southwestern Morris County, and a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for southeastern Morris. The flood warning’s in effect until just past midnight; the thunderstorm warning, until 8 pm.
Tornadoes are possible through 10 pm today, Wednesday, in Morris County and 15 other New Jersey counties, from Cape May to Warren.
“As we look at the forecast data, we are not as concerned with the Tornado threat as we are with the rain and flooding,” Morris County Emergency Management Director Jeff Paul said in a statement at 6:28 pm.
Paul continued:
We have been experiencing torrential rain which is expected to continue through this evening before lightening up and tapering off after Midnight.
We anticipate that we will experience significant flooding issues as the storm continues to produce several inches of rain over a short period of time.
We expect widespread roadway flooding along with flash flooding that will rapidly develop this evening as streams in the area overflow their banks.
Stream/creek flooding will continue after the rain stops through tomorrow and this flooding has the potential to linger into Friday.
Road closures are likely in impacted areas and we will continue to monitor this weather event and provide updates if it is determined to be necessary.
The flash flood watch extends into Thursday morning, Sept. 2, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida rain down upon the region.
Thunderstorms already were producing flash flooding, according to law enforcement sources cited by the National Weather Service at 6:15 pm Wednesday:
Between 1 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 2 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area.
The weather service warned of “life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
urban areas, highways, streets, and underpasses,” and advised motorists:
Turn around…don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most
flood deaths occur in vehicles.
