Community Corner

Families Lose Everything, Cars Get Trapped In North Jersey Floods

Little Falls and Woodland Park were hard hit by flooding Sunday when the Peckman River rose 15 above normal levels, according to a report.

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Families in Little Falls and Woodland Park lost everything when flash floods rushed through their communities Sunday.

Flooding was the worst for people in these towns and others nearby like Wayne after about 5 inches of rain fell in 50 minutes, which caused the Peckman River to rise 15 feet above its normal level, according to NorthJersey.com.

Governor Phil Murphy toured Little Falls and Woodland Park at the request of those towns' mayors, James Damiano and Keith Kazmark, respectively. (See related: Shocking Videos Show Floating Cars In NJ Floods, Piling Up)

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William and Francine Wright of Harrison Street in Little Falls moved into their home mere hours before a flash flood hit their street. They lose everything, NorthJersey.com reported.

"We had just moved in our stuff," Wright told the governor. "We lost everything."

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Neighbors pleaded for someone to help their communities.

"Somebody has to come down and help these people," Little Falls resident Colleen Dunne told NJTV.

ABC7 posted a video on Twitter of an SUV leaning against the side of a house whose foundation collapsed. Part of the driveway was washed away too.

Woodland Park estimates there was at least $3.2 million in damage caused by flooding. Nearly 200 Little Falls homes were damaged, including 32 that are not uninhabitable, NorthJersey.com reported.

In Wayne, vehicles slogged through water on Willowbrook Boulevard near the Willowbrook Mall. Some became trapped in the rapidly rising water.

Unbelievable videos show cars swept away by the New Jersey flash flooding on Saturday and piling on top of each other as people watched.

Crews had to rescue people from stores because of the flooding, according to News12, and the videos show cars from a Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer floating down the Peckman River and into a bridge. Route 46 was even shut down.


Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photos: Vehicles getting trapped in floodwater at the Willowbrook Mall. (YouTube screenshot)


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