September 1, 2021 is a day that will forever remain in people’s memories. Although New Jersey had been issued several warnings and watches, some areas were unable to completely prepare for the amount of rain Tropical Storm Ida brought. Hunterdon County saw upwards to 11 inches of rain fall while parts of Somerset County saw over 9.5 inches of rain. Tornadoes touched down and were spotted in Princeton, Edgewater Park, and Mullica Hill, ranging from 0-3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale for measuring tornadoes. Thousands of residents lost power, some for an extended period of time, some towns declared emergency mandatory evacuation orders, and sadly close to 30 people lost their lives during the storm.
Towns in Somerset County, specifically Bound Brook, Hillsborough, and Manville saw catastrophic flooding as a result of the heavy rainfall. Bound Brook was unable to close the flood gates completely due to a NJ Transit train getting stuck on the tracks, preventing the gates from being able to close properly. Somerset Patriots Stadium was completely under water, prompting some historic photos to surface of the aftermath. Several towns in Union County also saw widespread flooding and devastation, as well as towns in Essex County and Hunterdon County. Specifically in Mullica Hill an EF3 tornado touched down and caused much damage to the structure and homes in the area.
Ida’s aftermath and devastation was certainly one for the history books and will remain one of the storms that people will talk about for years to come, just like Superstorm Sandy. It is crucial to prepare in advance during the Atlantic Hurricane Season for any potential upcoming storms to reduce the chances to catastrophic damage. Making sure you have all preparations done in and around your home could prevent serious damage and save you time and money.
During the event of a water emergency, powerful storms in the area, flooding, or the like, New Method Restoration is always on standby 24/7 to assist in any way that we can. Our priority is helping our customers and making these extremely stressful situations slightly easier to navigate. We do our best to ensure that our customers are well taken care of and that we treat your property like it’s our own!