RED BANK: GET YOUR MIND ON THE GUTTER

A storm drain on South Street which has been the site of recent flooding. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)

By BRIAN DONOHUE

With the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby threatening to dump large amounts of rain over New Jersey the next few days, borough officials are alerting residents to help keep the streets clear of debris that could block storm drains and cause flooding.

A message from Borough Manager Jim Gant sent out Wednesday via the borough’s alert system reads in part:

“We implore that you move any yard debris piles from the roadway to the planting strip between the curb and the sidewalk. This small action can significantly help in reducing blockages and minimizing flood risks.”

The message also includes a reminder of the ordinance prohibiting the placing of yard waste in the roadway more than seven days before scheduled brush pickups. For streets West of Broad Street, those pickups are the second Thursday of the month from April to October. For streets east of broad, pickup is the third Thursday of the month.

The full alert can be read here.

While the highest rainfall amounts from Debby are now predicted be in more inland areas of New Jersey, Red Bank could see significant rainfall just days after flood warnings and deluges Tuesday. Winds of up to 35 miles per hour are also possible Friday.

The forecast from the National Weather Service for the Red Bank area as of 7 a.m Thursday:

Thursday

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10am and 2pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 78. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5am. Cloudy, with a low around 73. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 83. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 73. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers likely before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. West wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

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