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Stay Home, All Hillsborough Roads Closed In Ida Aftermath: Video
Route 202 closes on Bridgewater/Branchburg border, RVCC is closed, a house explosion in Somerville.
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — It's all hands on deck as first responders continue to deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida.
As of 8 a.m., all roads in and out of Hillsborough are closed due to flooding.
See flooding on Gemini Drive on Wednesday night in Hillsborough. Video courtesy of Yerlin Maria:
Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Hillsborough officials are pleading with residents to "Please stay off the roadways. Do not drive through water."
Somerset County sent out an alert on Thursday morning stating "911 is for LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES. PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911 FOR anything other than that at this time."
Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Additionally, the Municipal Building is closed Thursday. Municipal services are available via the website, email and phone. The Hillsborough Library is also closed.
As of 8 a.m., the following roads are closed due to flooding:
- Route 206 at Dukes Parkway
- Dukes Parkway East
- Route 206 to Dukes Parkway West
- Millstone River Road at Amsterdam to the Manville Border
- Sunnymead Road
- Amwell Road at Montgomery to Clover Hill
- Three Bridges Road
- Blackpoint Road
- Montgomery Road from Wertsville and Amwell
- River Road at Riverside Drive
- Studdiford
- River Road at Elm St
Flooding also closed Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg and Route 202 is closed due to flooding near the border of Branchburg.
"Turn around, don't drown," Bridgewater Police said.
In Somerville, a house on Mercer Street exploded which affected about 10 nearby structures, according to Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Spokesman Frank Roman.
A building next to Mannion's Irish Pub in Somerville also collapsed last night. More information to come.
In Bound Brook, two flood gates were closed around midnight. A flood gate on East Street and the Queens Bridge, which crosses the Raritan River between Bound Brook and South Bound Brook, was also closed.
Around 7 a.m. on Thursday, Bound Brook residents south of High Street were told to begin evacuating ASAP by police.
The Raritan River at Bound Brook is currently 41.8 feet high as of 8 a.m. Thursday and expected to rise to 42 feet which is the highest level recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Locally the Millstone River at Millstone is at 21.82 feet high above the 16-foot mark for major flooding.
Somerset County has canceled all transportation and Senior Center services for Thursday.
"Residents are asked to shelter in place and not travel on the roads to allow emergency responders to assess and address damage due to the flooding," said Somerset County Spokesman Nathan Rudy.
Meal delivery residents are encouraged to use the frozen meals and heater meals delivered earlier in the season. The Office on Aging at 27 Warren Street will also be closed for walk-ins.
Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.
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