Phil Murphy declares state of emergency amid flooding, thunderstorms in New Jersey
'I am declaring a State of Emergency given flash flooding and high levels of rainfall in parts of the state,' the governor said in a social media post. 'Please stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Stay safe, New Jersey.'
UPDATE: River flood warnings, highway closures persist after heavy rain soaks NJ
Much of the state faced a flash flood warning for at least part of Monday and a flash flood watch through midnight.
Those warnings were initially just through the evening rush hour but extended as the thunderstorms continued to produce heavy rain in the area.
More than an inch of rainfall was expected with flash flooding already taking place in some low lying areas.
The National Weather Service advised people to avoid driving on flooded roadways.
As of 7 p.m., there were over 8,000 power outages statewide as the storms roll through New Jersey.
PSE&G was reporting 5,052 outages with 808 in Bergen County, 1,536 in Essex, 1,162 in Middlesex and 1,061 in Union.
JCP&L had 1,576 withouth power, including 318 in Morris County and 951 in Sussex.
Orange & Rockland was reporting 1,704 without power, all in Bergen County.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ state of emergency declared amid flooding, storms
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