Thunderstorms Pose Flood Threat For Tri-State Area
SADDLE RIVER, NJ (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The flood waters from Thursday's storms have finally started receding, but as residents assess the damage, another round of storms could bring even more flooding to the region.
Parts of northern New Jersey face another flood threat if thunderstorms moving into the area produce big downpours again today.
The National Weather Service says those storms are capable of producing one to two inches of rain an hour.
WCBS 880's Monica Miller In Nyack
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As much as four inches of rain was dumped over the region on Thursday, causing the Saddle River and Pascack Brook to breach their banks.
One of the hardest hit areas was Saddle River where streets were quickly filled with water, flooding homes and trapping cars.
The raging flood waters left one woman stranded on the second floor of an office building on East Allendale Road.
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"I was here for Floyd in 1999 and it was like this. This may have been a little bit worse cause it happened so fast," she said.
Seven others were rescued from a nearby flower shop where one employee said he broke a window to escape as the water came up to his waist.
Further north in Nyack, roads were almost impassable because of flash flooding which also made driving treacherous on the New York State Thruway.
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Authorities say no one was injured due to the flooding.
In Nassau County, a flash flood watch remains in effect until tonight and in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, the health department has issued an advisory against swimming at area beaches because of heavy rainfall.
Health officials say heavy rain can cause high bacteria levels in water at the beaches recommend that people do not swim until at least 24 hours after the rain has stopped.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
