New Jersey — Over the weekend, Tropical Storm Ophelia unleashed a deluge of heavy rainfall, leading to widespread flooding in several East Coast states, notably in New Jersey.
Reports from CBS News detailed streets along the Jersey Shore submerged in knee-deep water on Saturday. Presently, Ophelia is losing strength as it tracks northward.
Northeastern regions of New Jersey experienced an average of 1½ to 2 inches of rainfall during the soggy weekend. However, areas in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic counties saw accumulations surpassing 2 inches, as per James Tomasini from the National Weather Service branch in Upton, New York. Meanwhile, certain areas in Morris and Sussex counties received upwards of 3 inches of rainfall.
Long Valley in Sussex County bore the brunt with a staggering 4½ inches of precipitation over the weekend.
Here are some specific rainfall totals as of Monday afternoon:
- New Milford, Bergen County: 2.38 inches
- Caldwell, Essex County: 2.52 inches
- Harrison, Hudson County: 2.18 inches
- Hawthorne, Passaic County: 2.13 inches
- Ramsey: 2.29 inches (bringing the monthly total to 8.77 inches, more than double the usual amount, according to Bob Ziff with the North Jersey Weather Observers)
Additional totals through Monday afternoon include:
- Bergenfield: 1.64 inches
- Hillsdale: 1.96 inches
- Haworth: 2.31 inches
- Lyndhurst: 1.74 inches
- Wantage: 3.33 inches
While the early part of this week may see around a quarter of an inch of additional precipitation, it is anticipated to be light. The likelihood of rain will decrease on Tuesday morning, and by the afternoon, the forecast indicates dry conditions until the first half of Thursday.
Due to rain, wind, and cloud cover, temperatures are expected to remain cool across the Atlantic Region throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
Forecasters caution those in coastal areas as a high risk of rip currents remains in effect until Tuesday evening.