Union County parks are still picking up the pieces after back-to-back storms turned trails into obstacle courses, knocked out power, and forced closures across the county system.
A second storm Thursday added to the damage left behind by the July 3 storm, which already caused widespread outages and claimed the life of a Scotch Plains man.
Several park roads remain closed, including:
- Sky Top Drive, Tracy Drive, and Loop Road in Watchung Reservation
- Roads in Cedar Brook, Green Brook, Rahway River, and Warinanco parks
Fallen trees and branches have also covered hiking paths throughout Watchung Reservation. A county trails crew will begin assessing the damage Monday, with repairs expected to take two weeks or longer.
The Deserted Village of Feltville remains without electricity, and its parking lot will stay closed until a damaged utility pole is replaced. Repairs to three downed power lines cannot begin until that work is complete.
The Watchung Stable is also without power. Staff are continuing to care for the horses, but operations remain paused until electricity returns.
The county closed Ulrich Pool and Wheeler Spray Park Thursday ahead of the storm, citing concerns about safely evacuating visitors if severe weather arrived.
Guests received free passes to return another day, while Wheeler’s planned splash night event was canceled.
The July 3 storm had already caused major problems across the region:
- Berkeley Heights: About 2,600 homes lost power, with roughly 120 fire calls — including carbon monoxide cases linked to generators. As of July 7, 445 homes were still without electricity.
- Scotch Plains: Jared C. Hirschowitz, 41, was killed after a tree limb fell onto his vehicle on Raritan Road. The crash remains under investigation.
No reopening dates have been announced for closed roads or facilities.
County officials are urging residents to avoid wooded areas and closed trails during unstable weather. If you see a downed power line, stay away and call 911.
Updates are available on Union County's website.
