The severe weather late Wednesday into Thursday brought with it heavy rain amid the gusting winds. I have a few sections of fence that fell down after the fence posts broke and my house was shaking all night long…
BRICK, NJ — If you were awake late Wednesday night you no doubt heard the rain that fell hard during the height of the severe weather that passed through New Jersey and Ocean County.
While the storm dropped nearly 3 inches of rain in some areas of the state, Brick Township received between half an inch and two-thirds (.67) of an inch, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
Jackson Township received the most rain in Ocean County, with slightly over an inch reported in two spots. Point Pleasant Beach received .72 inches of rain, while Toms River received .64 inches, according to the reports from weather observers.
Blairstown, in the northwestern part of the state, received 2.53 inches of rain, and Chatham received 2.58 inches, by comparison. Montague received 2.82 inches, the highest total in the state, according to the reports.
Downed trees, power outages as storm blows through N.J.
An unusual winter storm featuring temperatures in the 60s, lightning and high winds blasted through New Jersey Wednesday night, causing delays at airports and cutting power at several homes and businesses.
Tree branches brought down by high winds forced several highway closures and blocked lanes. I-95 North in Leonia near Exit 72 was partly closed due to a limb on the roadway, as were Route 287 South near Exit 33 in Harding, Route 10 East in Livingston near Knollwood Drive, on Route 47 near Weymouth and Lake roads in Vineland and on Route 27 in North Brunswick, the state Department of Transportation reported.
High wind and truck restrictions were in effect at several Philadelphia-area river crossings, including the Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge and the Ben Franklin Bridge.
A high wind alert and tractor-trailer ban went into effect around 9:40 p.m. for the upper level of the George Washington Bridge after a truck overturned, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in an alert.
The eastbound truck flipped over around 9:15 p.m. due to string winds, Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said. The truck landed on the westbound lane completely shutting down the upper level indefinitely because weather conditions were making it difficult to clear the truck, Pentangelo said. There were no injuries.
A tornado watch already in effect was expanded around 7:30 p.m. to include Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Somerset, Hunterdon, Morris, Warren and Sussex counties. Flash-flood warnings were called for parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties.
The windy weather, which was expected to bring gusts of up to 60 mph, also caused flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport. The public was urged to check with airlines for information on particular flights.
nj tornado watch expanded feb 24.jpgNational Weather Service
Police confirmed a tree fell into a structure on 7th Street in Pine Hill, and there were other reports, which could not immediately be confirmed, of trees falling into buildings in locations across the state, including in Bergen and Atlantic counties. A falling tree also struck a daycare center in Vineland earlier Wednesday night.
A watch means tornadoes are possible in or near those counties. A tornado warning would be issued only if a funnel cloud was spotted by someone on the ground or on weather radar.
At about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service extended its earlier flash-flood warning to 2:30 a.m. Thursday because of extremely heavy downpours in central and western New Jersey, as well as eastern Pennsylvania.
The flood warning is in effect for parts of Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Sussex counties. It also covers Bucks County in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The heavy downpours, coupled with the rain that fell earlier in the day, will saturate the ground and cause excessive runoff, the weather service said. As a result, some areas could get flooded very quickly.
Staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report. Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
