MILLBURN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will continue to tour the path of destruction Ida left behind Friday, speaking with residents who say they are overwhelmed by the cleanup ahead.
As CBS2’s Kiran Dhillion reported, the storm damage has overtaken the downtown area in Millburn. Vehicle are lodged in water, businesses and infrastructure are completely destroyed.
It’s an all-too-familiar scene for residents in many parts of the state.
“Somerville, New Jersey really needs help,” Somerville resident Jenna Ross told CBS2.
Emotions are high in the tight-knit Somerset County borough, where the flood waters hit Wednesday.
“I was in chest-high water,” Ross said.
Ross and her husband had to clean our their newly renovated home.
“Our living room set, I had just gotten stuff out of my parents’ house, so a lot of my childhood stuff is out here,” she said.
The newlyweds now feel almost as helpless as when they left their dinner dishes on the table and raced upstairs with their dog during the storm.
“We’re not a flood zone, so we don’t have flood insurance, so we’re out of pocket on everything,” Ross said holding back tears.
Cars remained submerged in the nearby Peters Brook on Thursday night, as neighbors boarded up busted windows and tossed the contents of their lives to the curb. Mixed in the mess were precious memories, pictures and even prayer cards.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Pamela Hunkele, of Somerville.
“There were two firemen waist-deep in water, like, ‘you’ve got to get out now!'” Somerville resident John Hunkele said.
The Hunkeles were trapped and then became even more terrified when it sounded like a bomb went off next door.
“It was chaos. We just freaked out worrying about our house blowing up,” said John.
Neighbors said fortunately the woman who lives in the house that blew up was not home when it happened. The house started taking on water, and she got out before it exploded.
A family in Rahway also had to evacuate before their home exploded, and two homes in Manorville that were overwhelmed by flooding burst into flames.
In Cranford, rescue boats arrived for people trapped in cars and homes by the overflowing Rahway River. More than 200 people needed help.
In Elizabeth, the river crested, sending water about 10 feet high. Some were stranded in their ground floor apartments.
“I heard her screaming, and she was like, ‘help me, help me,'” one resident said.
Four people in the apartment complex died.
“It hurt me, because I know that girl was in there,” the woman said.
The governor is expected to visit the hardest hit areas in Millburn, Elizabeth and Cranford throughout the day Friday.
CBS2’s Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.
from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/09/03/ida-new-jersey-flooding-cleanup/
via gqrds
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.