27 safe after partial roof collapse in Ocean Township amid heavy rains, flash flood concerns

A roof partially collapsed Monday morning amid heavy flooding in Ocean Township, N.J. 

It happened at around 11:30 a.m. at the BJ's Wholesale Club on NJ-35 in the Oakhurst neighborhood, according to the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office. 

Some 27 people were in the store at the time of the collapse. Fortunately, there were no injuries, authorities said.

Two people were partially trapped, but freed themselves and safely left the store with everyone else, Ocean Township Police Chief Michael Sorrentino and Sheriff Shaun Golden said in a statement. 

"This incident is another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions," Golden said. 

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Ocean Township until 3:15 p.m. Monday.

The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office posted an image from Route 35 that showed several vehicles deep in floodwater. 

"Please stay clear of the area and allow emergency personnel to safely respond," the MCSO wrote on social media. 

Storm damage cleanup continues in Paramus

In Paramus, the cleanup was still going strong Monday as crews cleared trees off homes and power lines. 

The ongoing severe weather conditions has families in the area feeling on edge. 

Block by block, wood chippers have been grinding their way through Saturday's storm debris. 

"From first look, it doesn't look too bad. But I am curious to see what we are supposed to do next," Paramus homeowner Kevin Kim said. 

"The whole house shook"

Kim just bought his house a month ago. He's waiting to find out if his roof is still in one piece. 

"All of the wind started to just pick up, and we saw this first tree fall, and then it landed right in front of our doorstep. And while we were looking at that, we saw this one start to slowly fall and then it - when it hit the roof - the whole house shook," Kim said. 

Trees toppled on cars, power lines, roads, fences and homes in Paramus. Many families in the area are now relying on generators. 

"The timeline, earliest, would be sometime today. The latest estimate would be Friday this week," Mary Ferrazzano said. 

Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza said his office has received 250 calls since Saturday night, and crews have been responding ever since the storm hit. 

"We are asking our residents to just be patient. Our departments are all hard at work," DiPiazza said.