Woman In Wheelchair Rescued As Storms Flood NJ Again

A woman in a wheelchair had to be rescued from floodwaters on Tuesday, one of dozens of rescues across New Jersey as storms soaked the Garden State on Tuesday.

The severe thunderstorms that moved across the state also knocked out power to thousands, with Jersey Central Power & Light reporting more than 10,000 customers without electricity as of 11 p.m., primarily in the northwestern portions of the state. PSE&G was reporting just under 1,000 customers without service.

By 9:30 a.m. Wednesday there were 2,700 JCP&L customers without power in pockets of small outages. PSE&G had 155 customers still without service.

In Belleville the storm brought down a wire at the Chestnut Street and Franklin Avenue that was arcing, sending flames into the air. Mayor Frank Vélez shared video footage and called it an "extremely dangerous situation," warning residents to avoid the area.

Read more: Flames Surge From Downed Wire In Belleville; 'Extremely Dangerous,' Official Says

In Hackensack, a transformer fire shortly before dawn Wednesday damaged seven vehicles and forced the closure of Prospect Avenue. There were no reports of injuries.

Read more: Transformer Fire Burns Cars And Closes Roads In Bergen County: Video

Portions of North Jersey saw flash flooding in the afternoon on Tuesday that caused numerous problems, and the issues continued well into the evening.

The Paterson Fire Company said firefighters rescued 20 people who became trapped by rapidly rising water.

"Among those rescued was a 62-year-old wheelchair-bound resident," the fire company said. "Members of Rescue Company 2 entered the rapidly rising floodwaters to reach the individual, who was stranded in her wheelchair. Firefighters safely carried her from the moving water," and Paterson Emergency Medical Services took over her care, taking her to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center for evaluation.

"We are grateful for the courage and professionalism displayed by our firefighters today," the fire company said.

In Little Falls, police warned residents who live in the flood plain of the Peckman River to take precautions or evacuate because the river had risen to a level "creating concern of possible flooding."

Roads in the area also were flooding, Little Falls police and Mayor James Belford Damiano said.

The Little Falls Office of Emergency Management said in an update late Tuesday that water levels had begun to subside and the flooding threat had diminished.

Officials in Hunterdon County, which has received nearly 5 inches of rain since Monday morning, were warning of flash flooding and said the threat would continue into Wednesday.

Bergen County saw another round of heavy rain after dealing with flooding that closed roads on Monday.

511nj.org was reporting flooding on Route 208 in Glen Rock, Route 94 in Fredon, and Route 57 in Mansfield.

Downed trees were blocking parts of Interstate 80 in Mount Olive, along with Route 94 in Sparta, Route 53 in Morris Plains and Route 23 in Montague, 511nj.org said.

Officials in Hawthorne, which had 17 water rescues on Monday, warned of another round of flooding on Tuesday.

"Strong storms are moving through our area again," the Hawthorne Office of Emergency Management said, "and additional severe weather is expected throughout the evening and later this week."

They issued a reminder to drivers: "IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE PAINTED LINES ON THE ROAD THE WATER IS TOO DEEP."

River Edge first responders also made multiple water rescues across the town on Monday.

"Our trained Swift Water Rescue Technicians safely rescued the occupants from vehicles trapped in floodwaters all over town and brought them to dry land without injury. Shout out to the Oradell Fire Department for the assistance," the River Edge Volunteer Fire Department said.

The impacts in Bergen County continued Tuesday, with the county parks department saying Saddle River County Park had been affected by flooding.

"The Rochelle Park, Glen Rock, and Fair Lawn sections are open; however, we advise visitors to exercise caution in the park as some paths may be closed until the flooding clears," the county said.