N.J. Braces For Even More Flooding, Thanks To Thursday Deluge
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Thousands of residents in flood-prone neighborhoods across New Jersey were bracing themselves for additional rain headed into the area.
Forecasters said the rain would become heavy at times on Thursday and especially on Thursday night. AccuWeather said the precipitation could result in ponding on city streets and highways.
Flood watches and warnings are in effect for many parts of the Garden State through Friday evening.
Residents said they were preparing themselves for the worst case scenario.
"If the storm is going to be what they say, then it's going to be pretty bad," said Little Falls resident Joe Crocco.
The Passaic River, which crested at around 2 a.m., sent another warning shot Wednesday. It reached 8.98 feet, just slightly below nine feet, the major flood stage level.
A Paterson resident tells 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg that he fears the worst is yet to come
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Long time Lincoln Park homeowner Gisele Bosits has seen it all, including the weather forecast of rain straight through Friday morning. She knows she's in trouble, because the Pompton River was at least six feet above its normal level, and that's before another round of rain.
1010 WINS' Al Jones with flood victims in Little Falls
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"We're probably going to have four or five feet in the basement without a doubt," she said.
Andy Monaco, also from Lincoln Park, had been rowing to and from his flooded home, but with more rain on the way, he and his wife have already decided it's time to hang up their paddles and move.
"I can't even explain it. I can't explain it. It's the worst. It's definitely the worst," Monaco said.
Laurie Giordano -- faced with her fifth storm -- said she has had enough. She has already started gathering her personal belongings and planned to leave "when [the water] starts bubbling up through the floor."
Another flood veteran, Little Falls resident Robert Graber, was slightly more hopeful.
"We did the whole thing just last year. Who knows? Hopefully we won't be as bad as last year. We had almost three and a half feet down here," he said.
WCBS 880's Marla Diamond with residents in Little Falls
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Piling sandbags in front of his basement windows and watching the Passaic River flow through his backyard, Jack Wilson prayed he wouldn't be faced with a repeat from last year.
"You lose the furnace, you lose your hot water heater. You lose the washer [and] dryer. You lose everything, " he told 1010 WINS' Al Jones.
Wilson added that he would be more than willing to sell his home and take his chances elsewhere.
Dale Mierop, of Wayne, said he had only minutes to get all of his personal belongings away from the raging flood waters that got into his basement and moved up his apartment.
"It sounded like waterfalls coming in," Mierop told CBS 2's Christine Sloan, "it started getting louder and louder."
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