Montgomery Township officials have declared a state of emergency in the wake of Tropical Storm Ida, which dumped several inches of rain on the township that led to major flooding issues.
Mayor Devra Keenan announced the local state of emergency on Sept. 2. The Montgomery Township Office of Emergency Management has been activated.
The state of emergency means non-essential travel is banned on Montgomery roads.
The Montgomery Township Municipal Building on Route 206 is closed.
“We are not yet out of the woods in terms of flooding. We need to stay out of the way of our first responders as they do important work,” Keenan said.
The unprecedented rainfall caused streams and rivers to overflow their banks. The Millstone River crested at 23.4 feet overnight between Sept. 1 and 2. The flood stage is 10 feet.
At 23.4 feet, this crest compares to a previous crest of 21 feet set on Sept. 17, 1999, according to Nixle reports. Hurricane Floyd swept through the area on that date.
Many township roads are flooded and covered with debris, township officials said.
Bridges will need to be assessed for structural damage, officials said.