BOGOTA — It's like rain on your wedding day. An absolutely overwhelming amount of rain.

Bogota police say it took just minutes for water to so overwhelm River Road Saturday that an officer hadn't even finished shutting down the road when a bride, groom and two passengers got stuck in water flooding over their hood — prompting one of many rescues departments throughout central and northern New Jersey took on throughout the afternoon and evening.

"The rain came so quick, and it flooded so quick," said Sgt. Geoffrey Cole, who responded along with Officer Michael Lafferrera just after 6 p.m. to the report of a vehicle stuck in the water.

A brook about 50 feet behind the area where the car was driving had made quick work of the road — Cole estimated flooding of about four feet in three minutes.

"It just caught them at the wrong time," he said. "Our officer had already shut down the other side of the roadway."

Using a Humvee obtained through a military surplus program, the officers pushed through the floodwaters, and rescued the bride and others from the top of their vehicle.

The downpours caused havoc throughout central and Northern New Jersey, shutting down both sides of Route 46 Saturday evening and sending cars floating away from the Route 46 Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Little Falls as floods overtook the Peckman River.

Residents reported evacuating their homes in Woodland Park:

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Flash floods stranded shoppers at a Foodtown in Cedar Grove, several said on social media:

NorthJersey.com reported cars were stranded on Route 3 in Clifton and along Route 23 near the Willowbrook Mall.

The Garden State Parkway in Middlesex County and Route 22 in Somerset County were among the hardest hit areas Saturday morning.

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