Murphy Declares State Of Emergency In Essex County After Storm – Montclair, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — As residents of Essex County continue to muck their way through the stormy deluge that flooded their towns last weekend, their struggles were recognized by Gov. Phil Murphy, who declared an official “state of emergency” in four counties on Tuesday.

With Executive Order 33, Murphy ushered in a state of emergency in Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties, allowing for the use of state resources into communities “most directly impacted by flooding” as a result of this past weekend’s torrential rains.

“There is no doubt that parts of our state have received nothing less than historic amounts of rain, and some communities received an entire month’s worth in just a few hours,” Murphy said Tuesday.

“Our job as public officials, first and foremost, is to ensure that everyone is safe, especially since we may not be out of this weather pattern yet and more rain may still fall on already saturated ground,” Murphy said.

According to a statement from Murphy’s office:

“On Saturday, August 11, and Sunday, August 12, several communities received between five and eight inches of rain, exceeding what should be the expected rainfall for the entire month. As a result, numerous neighborhoods experienced significant localized flooding, driving residents from their homes and shuttering businesses. Municipalities along waterways are also dealing with cleanup of downed trees, mud, and other storm-related debris. The National Weather Service has indicated that more storms may hit New Jersey, further complicating cleanup in affected communities.”

Murphy urged impacted residents and businesses to “carefully document” all property damages caused by floodwaters to the appropriate County Office of Emergency Management. Businesses may also account for revenues lost due to the floods, he said.

Local officials should continue to document damages for debris removal such as downed trees and mud from streets, as well as emergency protective measures including sandbagging or pumping out flood water, Murphy added.

Murphy urged all New Jerseyans to exercise caution when traveling into rain-impacted areas. Drivers should not attempt to cross flooded streets and should remain vigilant for power lines that may be brought down by falling trees, he said.

NUTLEY

In Nutley, the rising water submerged bridges near Kingsland Manor, Nutley Citizens Community stated. Flooding was also reportedly seen on Franklin Avenue.

“Even the river that runs in the tunnel under Franklin Ave flooded worse than I have ever seen,” one resident wrote. “Napoli is frigin’ flooded.”

The Nutley Fire Department wrote Saturday: “Please be aware that man hole covers may have lifted if you are out walking or observing the parks. Stay out of any water. This is taken from Vreeland Ave. There’s still a lot of water coming through the parks.”

CEDAR GROVE

An “extreme amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time” wreaked havoc in Cedar Grove, authorities said Saturday.

According to the Cedar Grove Police Department:

“The Township is in the process of assessing the damage from the flash flooding event. The extreme amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time caused severe flooding to roadways. As a result many roads were impassable. Those roads are now open and Cedar Grove Department of Public Works employees are out clearing storm drains and removing debris from roadways. Thankfully there were no injuries or deaths associated with this event. Police and Fire Department personnel have rescued numerous individuals trapped in vehicles on flooded roadways. They have also responded to many calls for assistance from residents with flooded basements to turn off the gas and electricity service. Residents are asked to only contact the police department for emergencies. All property damage incidents will be addressed after we complete all emergency operations.”

Although local roads are open, the cleanup will “continue into next week,” police said Saturday.

LIVINGSTON

Heavy rain did a number on the streets of Livingston, local authorities reported on Saturday.

According to the Livingston Police Department:

“Due to the heavy rain many streets are flooded. Including streets that do not normally flood. If you need to drive please use caution.”

NEWARK

In Newark, flooding was seen in the North Ward of the city near the Rt. 21 bridge on Riverside and Chester avenues by Herbert Street. Several cars were flooded out and damaged, RLS Media reported.

MONTCLAIR

In Montclair, several locations including Bloomfield Avenue saw heavy flooding.

On Sunday, the Montclair Film Festival reported:

“Like so many of our friends & neighbors, we suffered damage to our Cinema & Education Center on Bloomfield Ave from severe flooding during yesterday’s storms. We are assessing the damage & will update you soon. All best thoughts to those in our community cleaning up today.”

The rainy weather also cancelled the much-awaited Montclair Jazz Festival, organizers reported.

The flash flooding took its toll at Studio Players, the local nonprofit theater group wrote.

BLOOMFIELD

In Bloomfield, the downpour flooded several local roads, authorities reported.

According to the Bloomfield Division of Public Safety:

“Several roadways in the Township are flooded due to the heavy rainfall. Please use caution if you are out. If possible, please seek shelter until the rain subsides! Do not venture out unless absolutely necessary!”

CALDWELLS

West Essex Now documented several instances of flooding and storm damage in the Caldwells, including a flooded basement on Elm Road in Caldwell, damage to the bridge at Orton Road in West Caldwell, and wet floors at a movie theater in Caldwell.

In addition, a “manhole explosion” took place in Caldwell after the storm cleared, the publication stated.

A North Caldwell resident told West Essex Now that the weekend flooding was some of the worst they’d ever seen in the area.

“This was on the top of Stephanie Drive in North Caldwell. We’ve never had flooding until today. We have a new house being built behind us and also to the left outside of my townhouse. It moved a sandbox filled with sand 75-100lbs down the hill. I live at the top of the hill and got water in the basement. These new developers are using explosives to clear land.”

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department

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