Hopatcong: Trees Fall, Roads Flood

Hurriance Irene continued to roar through Hopatcong early Sunday morning as roads flooded, trees fell into streets and more than 100 people lost energy, Jersey Central Power & Light said.

But despite the carnage left behind from the high-powered winds and incessant rain, Hopatcong Police Chief John Swanson said around 1 a.m. Sunday that Irene hadn't generated many calls to the department.

JCP&L said an estimated 164 borough homes were without power as of about 2:30 a.m. In a post to Hopatcong Patch's Facebook page, Brian Whiteman said homes on Eugene Road and Chicopee Trail went dark.

They weren't alone. The power company said more than 1,500 Sussex County customers had lost energy, including an estimated 900 in Newton and 550 in Sparta.

At around 1:15 a.m. police closed Francis Avenue in Hopatcong between Russell Road and Flora Avenue due to flooding. Around the same time police removed large fallen trees from Flora Avenue near Brooklyn-Stanhope Road and Maxim Drive.

At around 2:30 a.m. police removed a downed phone line on Flora Avenue near Mildred Avenue.

At around 3 a.m. Flora Avenue was submerged beneath at least 4-5 inches of rain.

At around 3:05 a.m. police said due to flooding the Durban Avenue-Flora Avenue intersection would be blocked, as would parts of Tobyhanna Trail and Maxim Drive.

Morris and Sussex counties remained under a tropical storm warning Saturday night, as the National Weather Service warned of flooding,  heavy rains and hazardous winds.

As Hurricane Irene climbs the East Coast, the NWS said, its center would pass close to the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey over the course of Saturday night and Sunday morning. . The NWS was expecting 6 to 10 inches of rain in many areas, with isolated amounts of up to 14 inches in some areas.

It said record-setting rainfall would likely result in major flooding, warning in particular that small creeks and streams are highly susceptible to flash floods.