Tropical Storm Fred: Updated Forecast In Union County

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union County residents and an area cable company prepared Wednesday as forecasters predicted rain after midnight Thursday from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. Since Fred was traveling over land, it was not expected to bring as much rain as did Tropical Storm Elsa last month, but forecasters said rain could cause flash flooding.

Both eastern and western Union County were included in a hazardous weather outlook for just after midnight on Get the up-to-date forecast here.

While some may consider flash floods just an inconvenience, sudden floods have proved fatal to drivers (sometimes trapping parents and children) and people near even small streams.

As of Thursday morning, the updated forecast for the Union County area said:

• Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 96. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
• Thursday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 72. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

See the updated forecast here.

Here is Patch coverage: Tropical Depression Fred To Bring Thunderstorms, Heavy Rain To NJ

See the National Hurricane Center's rainfall potential map here.

Here is general guidance given before storms:

• Residents should secure all furniture and loose objects outside or bring them inside, especially on balconies. Outdoor tents should be taken down depending on wind load.
• Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, resulting in power outages. Please report power outages and downed wires to PSEG at https://nj.myaccount.pseg.com/....
• Do not drive through flood-prone areas.

Cable Company Guidance

On Tuesday, one New Jersey cable company, Optimum, released guidance:

"With Tropical Storms Fred, Grace and Henri making their way up the coast, we want to remind you of the resources available to you and assure you we are prepared for storm-related outages.

"While some outages cannot be prevented as they’re caused by downed wires and power lines, our fully staffed teams are standing by to assist our customers if there are any storm-related outages as soon as it is safe to do so. If unpreventable service outages do occur, restoring your Optimum service is always our top priority. We have made sure that our generators are checked and ready in case of any extended power outages."

How you can prepare:
• Have all your devices charged and ready.
• If you haven't yet signed up for text message alerts, do it now so you get the latest information right to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts.
• Have your Optimum ID ready so you can quickly log in to your account, check for service status updates, and find online support.
• Don't have an Optimum ID? Create One
• Can't remember your Optimum ID or password? Get a reminder
• Make sure your profile is up to date:
• Verify contact information and enroll in "Service Alerts" on the
My Profile page
• Add important email accounts to mobile devices and tablets using
these easy-to-follow instructions; Apple Devices, Samsung Devices.
• • Follow us on Social Media:
• Twitter – @OptimumHelp
• Facebook – Optimum

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