Gov. Phil Murphy toured storm damage in Warren County along Route 46 where heavy weekend rain caused a landslide, unprecedented flooding, debris and several road closures.
A state of emergency issued Sunday remained in effect Monday for New Jersey. Murphy says there are no reported deaths or injuries due to the severe weather. He began his tour at the Route 46 landslide in nearby White Township. Route 46 remained closed Monday afternoon in both directions between Manunka Chunk Road/Upper Serapta Road and CR 519/Hope Bridgeville Road.
Some residents are still trapped in their homes. One resident says she needs immediate help as her home is in danger of collapsing.
The severe weather created unsafe conditions for some residents in Warren County who are without power and prevented crews from safely accessing damage locations. To keep workers and residents safe, crews will be dispatched as conditions improve in the area.
The large chunks of debris following the landslide were extensive. News 12 New Jersey spoke with White Township resident Rylee Canfield who says she’s clearing out her family after her house barely suffered the landslide. She says her daughter was inside when it happened.
“I woke up to a big crash and at that point, I heard rushing water. So, I look out my window and it’s about this high from my window just pouring down into the street,” Canfield said.
The Town of Belvidere suffered in a few locations, including Brass Castle Road. Water tore up the street and damaged basements and driveways along the way.
In Knowlton, the roadway was closed around 8:30 a.m. Sunday following the landslide that resulted in soil, stones and trees covering approximately a half-mile of Route 46.
And those powerful storms from the weekend also caused damage in nearby Hunterdon County. The Huntington Volunteer Fire Department and the surrounding areas are completely flooded. The firehouse is now closed until further notice.
Murphy says it’s important for those recovering from storm damage to save all receipts and take pictures of all the damage to help in the recovery process.