Flooding, Power Outages Throughout Maplewood

Updated: A resident on South Crescent without power reports that she was told by PSE&G that she would not have power restored until NEXT Sunday. We will follow up with PSE&G.

This morning, the winds are dying down as Irene has been but it is still very dangerous driving out there.

10:30 a.m.: The Maplewood Patch editor's husband just returned from spending an hour trying to get to Chatham. He found that Rte. 78 was closed westbound, Wyoming Avenue was closed due to a tree down, streets were buckled on Sagamore and "scores" of street were closed throughout town. Police, fire and Public Works personnel are out and responding to many calls (DPW Director Eric Burbank has been spotted on scene!). Driving is hazardous — and mostly fruitless as you can't get there from here at the moment.

As of 9:30 a.m. a car was covered up to its roof in water at the intersection of Valley and Springfield Avenue at Manny's Texas Weiners in Union. The Home Depot area of Springfield Avenue is flooded and the area where Valley intersects with Springfield appears to be under about seven feet of water. Union emergency personnel were arriving at 9:31 a.m.

This morning, Maplewood residents are experiencing pockets of power outages and basement flooding. Trees are down and many roads are closed. Meanwhile, the robo calls are coming from NJ American Water alerting residents to .

Overnight, a tree fell on a garage behind a home on Oakland Road. The home owner said he didn't even hear it: "It must've been drowned out by the wind." He said he had called a tree service and his insurance agent — but didn't expect anyone to arrive anytime soon. "They have other priorities."

PSE&G says 250,000 in New Jersey are still without power, but that power has been restored to 70,000 New Jersey residents.

Patch received a report from a Dunnell Road resident at 3:21 a.m. Sunday, August 28, that she was evacuated from her home on Dunnell Road due to flooding from the Rahway River tributary. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Other residents near Dunnell and Jefferson told us that the Maplewood Police came to evacuate overnight but they decided not to wake their children and "risk a possibly dangerous drive up the hill." The residents reported that they still had power — as of 7:21 a.m. — and that the "River is in backyard! Woah."

A Golf Course Island resident reported on Facebook at 8 a.m.: "River is way high behind Burnet and in my basement. No power here."

On MaplewoodOnline, residents are reporting trees down (Oakview Avenue and in the Wyoming area), power outages (Kendal, Wyoming, Prospect in South Orange, Montrose Avenue in South Orange and Valley Street at Pierson Road), and road closures due to flooding (with Pierson Road closed at Valley due to flooding and a foot of water in the parking lot at Millstone/the old Pierson's Mill).

Maplewood residents who need to move to the designated shelter at the DeHart Center on Burnett Avenue should contact the police department at 973-762-1234 for assistance.

In addition, Millburn Patch is reporting that , causing the closure of several streets and the evacuation of the care center, according to emergency services officials.

In addition South Mountain Estates in Millburn is "surrounded by water," said Lt. Peter Eakley, of the Millburn Police Department, who sent out the emergency press release at 2:35 a.m. Sunday.

Only one family has used the Millburn care and reception center tonight so far tonight, when a tree fell on a house on Chestnut Street, sending a the family of five to the Millburn care and reception center for shelter, said Barbara Alllora, executive director of the American Red Cross.

- Alexandra Birnbaum and Laura Griffin contributed to this report.