Gov. Phil Murphy Declares State Of Emergency In 3 NJ Counties

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in several New Jersey counties Thursday just before a severe thunderstorm warning was issued in some parts of the region.

The warning was first issued for Gloucester and Salem counties as 60-mph wind gusts and penny-size hail were expected. Damage to roofs, siding, trees and power lines was possible.

The storm was moving fast so the warning could move to other counties. Thunder was rumbling in Middlesex County around 4 p.m. so a severe thunderstom warning was issued there, as well as in Mercer, Monmouth and Burlington counties.

And more severe New Jersey weather is possible as the state continues to wrestle with lingering problems after a messy night of flooding, train and road closures and other issues. Forecasters say 70-mph winds are possible later Thursday.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a flash flood watch for nearly the entire state, saying another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop Thursday afternoon and tonight, mostly after 4 p.m.

Flooding, meanwhile, continued to be a problem in a number of New Jersey communities, prompting Murphy to declare a state of emergency in three counties on Thursday.

The flash flood watch expires at 1 a.m., so New Jersey afternoon and morning commuters could be plagued with the same flooding issues that impacted South Jersey overnight and on Thursday morning. Read more: NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Declares State Of Emergency In South Jersey

“Our top priority is the safety our residents,” said Murphy. “We have activated the State Emergency Operations Center as of 6 a.m. this morning and are deploying resources and personnel to help with recovery efforts.”

Murphy also was expected to tour communities in the area.

Indeed, the rough weather may be producing record amounts of rainfall.

Heavy rainfall will develop once again with as much as an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain in a short time, according to the NWS. Flash flooding is likely once again, and it will not take much additional rainfall to result in problems such as fallen trees.

This week's stormy weather pattern in the northeastern United States is coming to an end, but not before severe thunderstorms and also possible isolated tornadoes threaten on Thursday, according to AccuWeather.

The same system that unleashed damaging winds and large hail across the Central states at midweek is on the move toward more heavily populated areas along the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.

"On Thursday, the entire corridor from Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and perhaps part of the New York City metro area may be at risk for dangerous and damaging storms," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an AccuWeather release.

Hail and isolated tornadoes can also occur, in addition to the dangerous lightning strikes that accompany any thunderstorm, whether it's severe or not, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Areas of fog before 10am. High near 78. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Thursday night: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. Patchy fog. Low around 63. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
• Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8am and 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph.