Summit Taking Normal Precautions for Andrea

With Tropical Storm Andrea bringing heavy rains and gusty winds to New Jersey, the potential for some flooding exists locally, though Summit officials are confident the city won't face the brunt of the storm.

According to recent National Weather Service forecasts, parts of New Jersey could experience up to five inches of rain through the run of the storm, which is expected to end Saturday. A greater potential for flooding exists in coastal and tidal areas, where wind and rain could create storm surges.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Summit Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Cotter said, the city had gotten about an inch of rain.

Though downfall in the region has been steady, Cotter said there have been no reported incidences of flooding as of early Friday afternoon. Currently, Summit is taking normal precautions to ensure that flooding doesn't happen, like clearing out catch basins and removing debris that might be in roadways, should those efforts prove necessary.

"We don't anticipate any major flooding here," he said. "There could be (flooding) if we can an awful lot of rain or if there's a situation where we get one to two inches during a short period of time, any number of streets could flood for a brief time. It's more of a capacity issue."

During the heaviest incidences of rainfall some Summit streets have flooded in the past, but typically it doesn't last long, Cotter said.

Andrea first made landfall in Florida Friday morning before moving up the east coast. Though the storm brings with it 45 mile per hour sustained winds, the center of the storm is expected to be offshore.