Flooding, downed trees and debris litter northern New Jersey after torrential storm
LODI, N.J. -- The coastal storm that wreaked havoc on northern New Jersey on Sunday night into Monday downed trees, flooded communities and forced rivers beyond their banks.
The Saddle River at Lodi was just one of several bodies of water that overflowed.
The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook busted beyond its banks in Ridgewood after more than five inches of rain fell.
Village Hall had to be pumped and swept out. Also, the football field flooded and the turf warped. Officials delayed schools for two hours and then set elementary students home early after power went out. Backyards filled with water near the brook. Juliann Ofodile shared that her garage filled with water, but thankfully her basement did not.
"We were okay. I feel terrible for our neighbors. Their car was totaled," Ofodile said.
Officers tied the neighbor's car to a tree to keep it from being washed away. Ofodile's neighbors on the other side were too exhausted to speak with CBS New York on camera, but shared the force of floodwaters was too much for their brand-new, reinforced garage door to handle. Their basement filled with water.
In Paramus, wind gusts exceeding 50 mph toppled a tree onto a home before daybreak.
"We turned the lights on and that's when we actually saw a branch through the roof of the ceiling," the homeowner said.
Not all who attempted to cross Wait Street and 5th Avenue in Paterson found success Monday morning. Cars stalled out in floodwater and needed the helping hand of a tow truck.
Problems in Pompton Plains were magnified midday as the Pompton River reached major flood stage, shutting down a stretch of Route 23 and threatening local businesses.
"The water has been coming up very quick and within hours it's getting closer and closer," resident Travis Jung said. "We've just been trying our best to get everything off the ground because a lot of this stuff is electric and very expensive if it gets ruined."
"I'm walking around now just deciding whether to start picking up or not," resident John Diamond said.
For Diamond, water threatens his home when the river gauge hits 21 feet. As of 3 p.m., the gauge measured 20 feet, 4 inches and rising.
The Pompton River is expected to crest at 20 feet, 7 inches, hopefully sparing Diamond. As for the Saddle River at Lodi, water levels should go down Monday night into Tuesday.
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