Paterson, N.J. firefighters hard at work rescuing residents from extensive flooding
PATERSON, N.J.-- Widespread flooding from Monday's storms have overpowered parts of New Jersey.
The cause of all the problems is the Passaic River, which crested on Tuesday and then spilled over.
The Paterson Fire Department worked all day Wednesday -- non-stop -- rescuing people trapped in flooded neighborhoods. It was a dangerous situation because many of the people spent the night in their homes with no electricity or heat.
READ MORE: Passaic River crests, sending more water into flood-ravaged Paterson, New Jersey
Firefighters had to use a military-style truck to rescue dozens of residents trapped in their homes on East Holsman Street, surrounded by rising waters.
A 9-year-old was among the people pulled out of their homes, where there was no power or heat overnight as the temperatures dropped.
"I thought, 'When are we going to be rescued?' and that I was going to be so cold that I was going to freeze to death," Alaysha Eusedio said.
Lucia Callado, her two kids, and the family dog also got out.
"This morning, when we woke up, tides were very high. You could hear the water gushing from the back. The basement is flooded. Everything is flooded," Collado said. "I was scared because I didn't know what was going to happen, what to expect, if we were going to be able to get out."
READ MORE: Flooding decimates parts of Morris and Passaic counties in N.J.
Near Main and Bergen streets, the fire department's Squad 6 carried two children out of an apartment building in a desolate area of Paterson, and then went back in for their mother and the family dog.
The family members said they were terrified as water moved into their building.
"It just kept going up higher and higher, but the back of my house is more scary," the mother said.
Public safety officials said it was a unique situation because rainstorms like the one that hit on Sunday night and Monday usually hit earlier in the fall.
"As a result of the river cresting, we also also had the frigid temperatures. So with the temperatures dropping, it starts to ice up. People start losing boilers, start losing power," said Jerry Speziale, Paterson's director of public safety, fire and emergency operations. "It is extremely dangerous. You can have the gas start going into the home. You could have an explosion, wire shortage, all kinds of dangers."
Residents said they've had enough of the flooding every time it rains.
"They should do something about it," one man said.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said the city needs help to alleviate the impact of storms.
"So we are going to be looking to our federal friends to help Paterson become more resilient and hopefully mitigate the severity of these storms leave behind," Sayegh said.
The bulk of rescues took place on one street, where see some cars were under water.
The floodwaters may not recede until the end of the week.
The Paterson school district says schools and district offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. They are expected to reopen on Jan. 2, 2024. All after-school activities have also been canceled for the remainder of the week.