FIRST PERSON | I live in Rockaway Township, N.J., and I’m very lucky. We have power, no water and our trees are standing. At the bottom of my street, however, it looks unrecognizable to me. Hurricane Irene blew through our neck of the woods Saturday. The conglomerate of towns that share resources here are truly a hot mess. Denville, Rockaway Township and Rockaway Borough are all flooded. The Rockaway River went over onto Main Street Sunday morning at the falls with punishing fury. I passed it on the way to get some essential supplies before it went over. It looked like Niagara Falls rather than the small waterfall it normally is.
I have been out twice to help neighbors and friends in the area and I have offered my home to my friends with no power. I am especially sad for my friends in Denville. While there has been flooding in this town in the past, this is devastating. Broadway in Denville is a river. All the stores, homes and businesses are underwater. My neighbor, who is an EMT for these towns, has told me that the road to the hospital (St. Clare’s Denville) is not passable for cars. He also witnessed a house coming off of its foundations from the massive flooding.
Everywhere we look there are roads closed due to flooding. We live where major highways intersect and still we are virtually stuck in this region. Interstate 80, Route 46, Route 10 and part of Route 287 are all partially closed for flooding. The road buckled in some places, causing permanent damage even when these waters recede. This means getting to work for most of us here is more than challenging, if not impossible.
As I sit outside on the steps, it is ironic. Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and it is a simply beautiful day. All I hear in the background is the sound of chainsaws from neighboring homes. I will need a tree specialist soon too. The tree in the back has cracked in half and will surely fall if not taken down. My best friend is sending them over after they remove the tree that fell on her house. Fortunately it didn’t hit any living space and everyone was fine. This is the story played out over and over on my friends’ Facebook pages. I have offered my home to my friends in Fairfield, Denville and parts of Pine Brook who had to be evacuated with rising rivers.
Finally, I am broken-hearted for my aunt. Her vacation home that I spent years enjoying as a child sits in Lavalette, N.J. Someone took a picture yesterday on the corner of Reece and Bay Boulevard where her house is located. The water was 4 feet deep if not more. As she is not able to travel down the Garden State Parkway South, she is unable to see if the home is still standing. I suspect if it is, there will be devastating flood damage. In New Jersey we are all bonding together and doing our best to help each other as we clean up from the mess Irene has created.