This week — almost exactly a year since the last severe flooding of the Passaic River– information has been circulating about rising water levels and evacuations in Little Falls, Lincoln Park, Wayne, Fairfield and the areas around the Passaic River and its tributaries.
As of this morning, the National Weather Service continued its flood warnings, reporting river levels of 8.7 feet (flood stage is 7.0 ft). Currently moderate flooding is occurring and major flooding is in the forecast. The river is expected to keep rising to nearly 10.2 feet by Saturday morning, with additional rises beyond that.
Passaic River anthologist Wheeler Antabanez says that “if it rains again this week things could get very ugly.”
Antabanez and his friend Mad Mike had their canoes out on the Pompton River today.
We launched at Fayette Avenue and then went under 202 into Lincoln Park. The houses are already underwater. When this next storm hits, the river is going to do some real damage. After we checked out Hoffman Grove, we took a fast ride downstream towards Two Bridges. We couldn’t get under the bridge so we portaged around and then hopped into the Passaic. The water was cold and fast, but we managed to get back to Mike’s place in Fin’s trailer park and Mad Mike drove me back to my truck.
Stay tuned for more river/flood reporting. The Flood Emergency Hotline number is 973-256-6538.
As my father would have told you back in the 60′s, you shouldn’t build on a floodplain,
then have ludicrous plans like like building a flood tunnel. They original developers and the politicians that approved the development should have been thrown in jail. Moving forward the cheapest solution is still buying out the poor rubes that were victims of the crime and returning the land to it’s natural function. (like that would happen)
I have a friend who lives right on the Passaic, and every time this happens she’s flooded out, poor thing. I keep telling her she should become a bond trader like deadeye and move to Undercliff Road, but she never listens to me.
Worst instance of flooding I personally recall was when Saddle Brook overflowed in Lodi during the 60′s, right by the cemetery. There literally (unlike certain politicians’ cannibalistic fantasies after Katrina in New Orleans) were bodies floating in the streets. I therefore wonder if the same thing ever happens along that stretch of the Passaic in Totowa/West Paterson where there are graveyards.
And walleroo, please do feel free to step out into the raging torrent of local floodwaters as far as you might sanely dare and then some, there’s a good marsupial.