Police Sgt. Mike Shimsky, who also heads the Bernards Township Office of Emergency Management, said Sunday morning that flood-prone Newell Drive at the Mount Airy Road intersection had been closed since about 5:30 a.m.

That spot and others remained closed due to road flooding as of shortly before 9 a.m., Shimsky said at that time. "That's not going to be open until the rain stops," he said of Newell Drive.

As of 10:49 a.m. on Sunday, no evacuations had been implemented in Bernards Township, Shimsky said. 

The following roads were closed at that time, he said: 

• West Oak Street at Brook Avenue
• Lyons Road between Goltra and Mount Airy Roads
• Valley Road between Mount Airy and Spring Valley Roads
• Valley Road between Mount Airy Road and Liberty Corner Center
• South Finley Ave. between Lake and Homestead Roads
• Newell Drive
• South Finley Avenue just south of the downtown, near the Copper Kettle Deli, also was closed because of a large fallen tree.

Water levels have receded as rain slowed, but Shimsky said rivers and streams were expected to crest later, causing more closures.

"No vehicles should be traveling on the roads now unless absolutely necessary," Shimsky said as of 11 a.m.

Irene had been downgraded to a tropical storm for this area as of 9 a.m. Sunday, but the last of the rain may not have not passed. As of 10 a.m., the National Weather Service still was predicting periods of rain through 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, state police at Somerville were advising motorists to stay off interstates at about 8 a.m. Sunday, saying that both interstates 78 and 287 had multiple points of flooding and trees down, including near the I-287 and 78 interchange in Bedminster.

A foot of water was stretched across I-78 at milepost 31, just two miles west of the highway's exit 33 leading into Bernards Township and Warren Township.

A tree also was down at milepost 29.1 on that highway, a trooper said.

Flooding made exiting onto local roads difficult along both highways, he said. 

State police are asking drivers to stay off the interstate highways, he emphasized at about 8:05 a.m.

Meanwhile, reports are that the Jersey Shore was pummeled harder, with many residents evacuated and many power outages reported in Ocean County.

The Jersey Shore started to feel the heavy impact of Hurricane Irene Saturday night and Sunday morning as strong wind gusts and driving rains became more frequent, causing slick roads, poor visibility and plenty of reasons to find shelter, according to a report from shore-based Patch sites.