20 Year Old NJ Woman Missing, Confirmed Dead as Car Swept Away in Flood Waters from Hurricane Irene

A 20 year old Salem County, NJ woman was first considered missing and now is confirmed dead as her vehicle was swept away by flood waters from Hurricane Irene. Sadly, authorities would later find the Salem County woman in her vehicle dead. She is considered the first confirmed casualty of Hurricane Irene in New Jersey. The woman’s name has yet to be released.

A Salem County woman called 911 at around 1:40 a.m., saying her car was filling up with the water, State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes said.

A State Police SWAT team later found the woman dead in her car at 9:30 a.m. at 849 Route 40 in Pislesgrove, Salem County, State Police Spokesman Brian Polite said.

The winds of Hurricane Irene may not have been the story of this storm, it most likely will be the heavy, continuous rains that have caused flooding and erosion of damns and sea walls. As per ABC News 6, heavy rains caused three nearby lakes to overflow. The dams that separated each lake broke during the storm, forcing large amounts of water onto Route 40 near Kings Highway.

N.J. storm update: One dead, thousands without power.