South Jersey Homeowners Brace For Potential Flooding, Power Outages Ahead Of Tropical Storm Elsa
BROOKLAWN, N.J. (CBS) -- Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to make a big impact inland. Many communities are bracing for the flash flooding and downed power lines.
A peaceful afternoon of fishing got packed up quickly as the sky darkened.
"Lightning and thunder? Oh no," Jerry Allen said.
Allen doesn't mess around with that, and with the potential for power outages, he needed to get home to prepare.
"As you can see, the water is really low right now. Normally, the water is all the way back there," Allen said.
Camden County officials say they lowered the level of Cooper River Lake to try and offset river swell. They also cleared storm drains.
In Brooklawn, homeowners that back up to the Delaware River marshland did what they could, just in case, like clearing gutters and setting up water barriers.
"It's just a couple boards put together and I wrapped it in roofing rubber,"one man said.
Just across the flood-prone street, Tony Balkman says he's been keeping track of Elsa's path.
"When it's high tide and a lot of rain, it gets flooded up here," Balkman said.
Luckily, his home sits high. But with the Big and Little Timber Creeks surrounding the town, the Brooklawn Circle suffers routine flooding during storms.
The owner of Empire Diner provided us with this video from Feb. 7, 2020, showing just how hard floodwaters can hit.
