Officials don't want the impact of Tropical Storm Debby to turn into an Ida-like nightmare on the roadways.

Drivers are being urged to avoid making dumb decisions on the roads — if the street in front of you is flooded, find another route.

"Where you're going in that moment probably isn't that important," said Jeffrey Paul, director of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management.

Officials in Morris County had to make numerous water rescues already this week, during and after heavy rains. Motorists believed they could make it through flooded roads, but could not.

Deeper-than-expected water shouldn't be the only concern for drivers, Paul said. Conditions underwater can't be seen from your windshield.

"Just this past Tuesday, we had trees down with live wires in water," Paul said. "So what you're seeing is not what you're getting."

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Friday, nicknamed "Debby day" by New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meterologist Dan Zarrow, is forecast to feature several hours of heavy rain and winds. Some areas of the state could record 3 or 4 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday, Zarrow said.

In 2021, dozens of people in New Jersey lost their lives after the remnants of Hurricane Ida rolled through and drenched the state.

Most of the deaths were people who had gotten caught in submerged cars. Not all drove toward danger; some were swept away by floodwaters.

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