Flood watch until 7 p.m. for Central New Jersey, flood warning extended for Somerset County, portion of River Road closed

River Road is closed at Herrontown Road in Princeton due to flooding. Drivers should anticipate that other roads that typically flood during and after heavy rains such as Quaker Road could also be shut down.

This is the second time in two weeks that Central Jersey is coping with flooded roads because of heavy rain. More than two inches of rain fell overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

Do not drive cars through flooded areas. The water depth and road conditions may be unsafe. Turn around instead.

A flood watch was issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday for Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex, Hunterdon, Burlington, Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem, Sussex and Warren counties. The watch will end at 7 p.m. Thursday

A flood warning was issued for Somerset and Middlesex counties and has been extended until 6 a.m. Friday, Dec. 29. A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring.

Flooding is happening already in some areas and is expected in others in Somerset and Middlesex counties as the Raritan River overflows. Manville and Somerville are experiencing flooding. The Raritan River is expected to rise to a crest of 16.3 feet Thursday afternoon. It will then fall below the flood stage late Thursday evening. The flood stage is 14 feet.

At 11 feet, flooding begins in Dukes Park in Manville.
At 12 feet, roads and trails flood within Dukes Park.
At 13 feet, Southside Avenue in Somerville floods.
At 15 feet, Dukes Parkway begins to flood in Hillsborough.
At 16 feet, Lincoln Avenue in the Lost Valley section of Manville floods.
At 17 feet, street and roadway flooding increase across the Manville area, and the Van Veghten Bridge and Main Street in Manville are flooded as well as 5th Street in Somerville.

The Raritan River at Bound Brook is expected to crest at 29.8 feet Thursday evening with flood stage at 28 feet. The river is expected to fall below flood stage by Friday morning.

A flood warning is in effect for the Millstone River at Blackwells Mills between Hillsborough and Franklin until 4:45 p.m. Friday. The river is expected to crest at 9.8 feet after midnight. Flood stage is 9 feet.

The amount of flooding can vary from event to event.