Water Rescues, Thousands Without Power After NJ Storms

After a second day of severe weather in New Jersey, thousands remained without power as of Saturday night while rescue teams throughout the state responded to flooding and stranded people.

As of 9 p.m., more than 2,600 customers remained without power across the state, according to the NJ Power Outage Tracker. More than two inches of rain fell during the storms Friday in portions of New Jersey, including in Ironia, where the recorded rainfall total was 2.36 inches, according to CBS News.

The Hawthorne Fire Department responded to more than 20 calls during Saturday night's storm, including reports of buildings struck by lightning, fire alarms and flooded homes and apartments. Firefighters also rescued more than 20 people from vehicles that became stranded in floodwaters, the department said.

The department said crews worked through heavy rain and intense lightning while responding to calls throughout the storms.

"This storm came in ferocious. It was like, wow," Hawthorne Fire Chief Joseph Speranza told CBS News. "I haven't seen lightning like that in New Jersey I don't think in all my lifetime."

The Glen Rock Fire Department also responded to 15 calls related to flooding during Saturday night's storm.

One of the more serious incidents involved a vehicle trapped in floodwater with two people inside. Firefighters, working with Glen Rock police, entered the water and pulled both occupants to safety as the vehicle continued to fill with water, the fire department said.

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Officials are urging residents to avoid flooded roadways, where even relatively shallow water can be dangerous and vehicles can quickly become stranded.