newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ALICIA CRUZ

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Widespread flooding from recent heavy rains and snowmelt catapulted the Passaic and Raritan rivers above flood stage, as much as five feet in one area, and prompted evacuations Sunday, WABC reported.

Route 20 and five bridges in Northwestern Patterson, are impassable as the Passaic River crested at 12.4 feet Sunday morning, and is expected to rise even higher than it did in March 2010. Power outages and closures have been reported at Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne, between Lafayette and Lincoln Avenues. Vincent Street, Passaic and Schoon Avenues have also been closed.

By 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the river in Little Falls was measured at 11.6 feet, four feet above flood stage. She peaked at 11.8 feet, swamping more than five hundred homes and businesses and prompting emergency officials to call for evacuations to higher ground. Residents should prepare themselves for weeklong road flooding as officials say they only expect the river to drop to 10.5 by Monday morning, according to wunderground.com.

Emergency officials have opened a shelter for residents with nowhere to go, and announced the closure of Little Falls schools on Monday. They are hoping to allow Residents back into their homes by Monday, but there were no guarantees.

While many residents heeded the evacuation warnings, others opted to stay and ride out the flooding. Fred Batelli of the Little Falls Office of Emergency Management said officials would extract residents who chose to ignore evacuation orders, in cases of medical emergencies only, but not simply because they shunned the evacuation and later change their minds.

So far, Mary Goepfert, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management says the total number of homes evacuates are at 2,000, Reuters reported. As New Jersey Governor Chris Christie convened a conference call with senior state officials to discuss the situation, FEMA, State and County officials flew over flooded neighborhoods in an attempt to assess the damage Sunday, Goepfert said.

In Wayne, where the water reached waist-high, fire and police officials launched two rescue boats and say they will evacuate residents as needed. Residents along Fayette Avenue were using boats to move around town instead of their vehicles.

After touring flood regions Friday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie assured residents he would do everything within his power to help. On Saturday, members of the New Jersey National Guard also toured flood areas.

Many exhaled as meteorologists excluded rain from the regions forecast for several days, hoping rain-swollen rivers would have the chance to drain below flood stage and flooded street would have the opportunity to dry out. As the Northern chapter of the New Jersey American Red Cross stepped in to help flood victims, agency officials made an appeal for donations to the local disaster fund.

Red Cross spokeswoman Cathy Hoag told the Record the agency needs the donations to ensure they are able to continue meeting the demand of supplying cleanup kits, shelter, food, cots and other items. Hoag said they know how much is needed based upon the flooding of 2010.

Individuals who want to donate may do so by phone at 800-507-6058 or online at redcrossnnj.org. Your donations by mail should be sent to American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey, Attn: Financial Development, 209 Fairfield Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004. Write “New Jersey flood relief” in the memo line of your check so your funds will be designated for New Jersey flood victims.

Preparing for a Flood

* Contact the local county geologist or county planning department to find out if your home is located in a flash-flood-prone area or landslide-prone area.

* Learn about your community's emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations of emergency shelters.

* Plan and practice a flood evacuation route with your family. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to be the "family contact" in case your family is separated during a flood. Make sure everyone in your family knows the name, address, and phone number of this contact person.

* Post emergency phone numbers at every phone.

* Inform local authorities about any special needs, i.e., elderly or bedridden people, or anyone with a disability.

* Photo of emergency phone numbers posted on refrigerator door. Identify potential home hazards and know how to secure or protect them before the flood strikes. Be prepared to turn off electrical power when there is standing water, fallen power lines, or before you evacuation. Turn off gas and water supplies before you evacuate. Secure structurally unstable building materials.

* Buy a fire extinguisher and make sure your family knows where it is and how to use it.

* Buy and install sump pumps with back-up power.

* Have a licensed electrician raise electric components (switches, sockets, circuit breakers and wiring) at least 12" above your home's projected flood elevation.

* For drains, toilets, and other sewer connections, install backflow valves or plugs to prevent floodwaters from entering.

* Anchor fuel tanks, which can contaminate your basement if torn free. An unanchored tank outside can be swept downstream and damage other houses.

If you are under a flood watch or warning

* Gather the emergency supplies you previously stocked in your home and stay tuned to local radio or television station for updates.

* Turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close the main gas valve if evacuation appears necessary.

* Have your immunization records handy or be aware of your last tetanus shot, in case you should receive a puncture wound or a wound becomes contaminated during or after the flood.

* Fill bathtubs, sinks and plastic soda bottles with clean water. Sanitize the sinks and tubs first by using bleach. Rinse and fill with clean water.