Flooding strands dozens of vehicles in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY (FOX5NY.COM) - Heavy rain caused flash flooding in parts of northeastern New Jersey on Tuesday. Daylong rainfall pounded and stranded motorists through the region.

Several blocks of Avenue E in Bayonne in Hudson County were underwater. Fire crews used a Zodiac rescue boat to check cars to make sure no people or animals were stuck inside.

But even for these emergency crews, the conditions proved dangerous. Fox 5 saw one firefighter lose his footing when he stepped into a manhole after the cover came loose. He was later treated for what appeared to be a minor injury.

Several streets were hit especially hard. The underpass at the light rail station on 22nd Street was impassable for a time.

Parts of Routes 1&9 between Newark and Jersey City were closed. City officials urged people to stay off the roads.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning through 7 p.m. for towns extending from East Rutherford, Hasbrouck Heights, and Hackensack north to Oradell and east to Cliffside Park and Fort Lee.

Towns in central New Jersey including Trenton and Princeton are under a flash flood warning until 9:15 p.m.

With the AP