Flooding Closes Several Township Roads

Rains from Thursday caused police to close five township roads, including one that had been closed earlier in the week.

Police reported closing Riverside Drive at the bridge, Riverside Drive between Clawson Avenue and River Road, River Road between Riverside Drive and Wagner Lane, Sunnymead Road and the Blackwells Mills Causeway due to flooding.

Residents are advised not to pass road closure signs and police are actively monitoring water levels, they said.

The township’s Department of Public Works prepared for the storm Wednesday, though the rain was not expected to begin until Thursday, according to Public Works Director Buck Sixt.  Preparation includes placing sandbags and barricades near flood-prone areas the day before the rain, allowing police to move the barricades into place when the water levels rise.

The reasons for flooding can range from problems with storm water regulations to simple terrain issues, Sixt said.  Other times, the rainfall causes the flooding.

“In other areas, it’s just the amount of rain in the area in a short amount of time,” Sixt said.  “It can’t disperse quickly enough.”

Some areas, like Sunnymead Road, have other factors contributing to the flooding.  According to Sixt, an underground channel underneath the railroad causes the road to flood.

Despite the number of closed areas and high water in other areas, the township does not have many flood-prone areas to handle, he added.  Somerset County certain roads that can flood during rainstorms, including River Road and South Branch Road, rather than the township.

“We are surrounded by county roads and rivers,” he said.

According to the United States Geological Survey Water Watch, water levels on the Raritan River at the Studdiford Bridge were at 10.58 feet Friday.  Flood stage is estimated at 9.0 feet, however, the county had not closed the road.

Despite rainfall predictions and flood warnings, the storms were not as bad as predicted, Sixt added.

“It wasn’t as bad,” Sixt said.  “We obviously didn’t get what they anticipated, which is a good thing.”