Raritan River Floods Rt. 18, Piscataway Residents Rescued

PISCATAWAY, NJ —Flood waters have receded in many parts of New Jersey, but that is not the case in Piscataway/New Brunswick Thursday morning, as the Raritan River flooded its banks at 9 a.m., flooding apartment complexes and Rt. 18.

It also may get worse: The Raritan River has not fully peaked and is supposed to crest at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, said Piscataway spokesman Gene Wilk.

Dramatic aerial photos below show Rt. 18, a major artery in and out of New Brunswick, completely under water. Thursday was the first day of class for Rutgers, but class has been delayed to 1 p.m. Also, Thursday night's first Rutgers football game, the season opener, has been canceled.

Police and first responders helped seniors evacuate from Piscataway apartment complexes Thursday morning. Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler pleaded with residents who live near the river to not stay in their homes and call 911 immediately.

"We're asking all the residents of the Mayflower, Rivercrest and Birchview apartments along the river, if you have not been evacuated yet, do not stay in your apartment," pleaded Wahler in a 9:45 a.m. emergency video Thursday. "This is not 'let's ride out the storm' area. The buildings can't be guaranteed and may be compromised ... electrical systems are submerged and underwater. Please call local PD; we have people in boats out here circling the development ... Please work with first responders. They can't keep going back. This is critical."

In nearby Hillsborough, two people died from the flooding in two separate incidents, ABC reported. Rt. 206 in Raritan was flooded Thursday morning, as well.

BREAKING: Rt 18 CLOSED in New Brunswick near the Rutgers campus as the Raritan River spills over its banks #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/0Ptz0aB9kP
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) September 2, 2021

Dock with Rutgers Launches attached breaks free and smashes into a bridge on the Raritan River #nbc4ny #rutgers #ida pic.twitter.com/pANpWr6AUE
— Steven Bognar (@Bogs4NY) September 2, 2021

The YMCA at the Piscataway Community Center (YPCC) is open as a shelter for any residents who had to leave their homes.

The Rutgers football stadium is located in Piscataway; Wahler begged Rutgers to cancel the game, saying search-and-rescue operations will be underway throughout the day on Thursday.

Edison Public Schools will be closed on Thursday due to severe flooding, the school district announced.

In Metuchen, many people reported water entering their homes Wednesday night.

"Unfortunately, there is so much water that it has nowhere to go right now," Mayor Jonathan Busch said in a Facebook post. "We will all have to be patient and wait for the storm to end and the water will subside."

Water rescues underway in Piscataway, NJ. This is along the Raritan River. Here an apartment complex flooded and emergency teams are helping seniors to safety.

Credit: Ekaterina Bussey#Raritan #flooding #FlashFloodEmergency pic.twitter.com/4oKseHiaI6
— Dan Bowens (@danbowensfox5) September 2, 2021

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