Mom, Baby Boy Rescued from Stranded Station Wagon on Flooded New Jersey Street After Storms Rip Through

A line of severe thunderstorms pounded the tri-state, especially southern New Jersey, Tuesday morning

Firefighters rescued a mother and her 7-month-old son from a stranded station wagon on a flooded New Jersey road after severe thunderstorms moved through the region early Tuesday, causing flash floods, dangerous lightning strikes and damaging winds.

Authorities are investigating whether a possible tornado touched down in southern New Jersey's Ocean County. 

In Long Branch, Odalias Perez, her baby boy and a male friend were driving home after getting some breakfast when the vehicle stopped moving on Long Branch Avenue and started smoking, Perez said. She feared flooding may have made the road impassable. 

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The water wasn't too high, but with her baby, Aidan, in the car, she wasn't taking chances. She and her friend called police, and firefighters, along with a water rescue team, responded with boats to help them out of the car and away from the water. 

The mother said she was grateful for the assistance.

Asked about the rescue, one emergency responder said, "We were just doing our job."

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