Several Drivers Rescued From Cars As Rt. 1 Floods Wednesday

EDISON, NJ — Roadways in Central New Jersey were inundated with fast-rising floodwaters Wednesday evening after a series of intense thunderstorms moved through the area. The flooding was so bad that several drivers on Rt. 1 in Edison even had to be rescued from their cars. The water rose so quickly that drivers couldn't wait for local fire companies to respond, and many had to be rescued by people in other cars nearby. The New Brunswick fire boat was even called in as a precaution.

That photo is from Rt. 1 in Edison Twp. Wednesday night, near Old Post Road.

These incredible videos that show the flooding were posted by Tim Castleton, an Edison Twp. firefighter who was off-duty at the time but rescued several drivers with his Jeep. The below video shows flooding on Rt. 1 in Edison Twp. by Plainfield Avenue:

Rt. 1 in Edison Township, Rt. 27 and parts of Rt. 18 in New Brunswick were hit particularly hard by floodwaters. Unfortunately the rainstorms hit just at the start of the evening rush hour and those are three of the most heavily-trafficked roadways in Middlesex County.

The question is: Why did flash flooding like this happen, and how did it get so bad last night?

"There is so much over-development in the area and so much asphalt down that when rain hits, the sewers can't keep up," said Robert Donnan, Chief of the Metuchen Fire Department.

Chief Donnan was not at the scene last night, but he said first responders have long known Middlesex County roads are vulnerable to flash floods. Still, Wednesday night was the worst he's ever seen in 22 years on the job.

"In nature, rain water is absorbed by the dirt. But there is so much concrete and asphalt down in this area that the rain water has nowhere to go. We got hammered by three storms in a row last night and the stars just lined up for flood conditions," he said.

The New Brunswick Fire Department had to assist three cars trapped in floodwaters, on Drift Street, Jersey Avenue and Somerset Street.