Hurricane Irene would have been the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey in more than a century, had it actually been packing hurricane-strength winds at the time. But by the time Irene rolled ashore at Little Egg Inlet in southern Ocean County, its wind speed had already decreased to 69 m.p.h. – a full 5 m.p.h. short of hurricane strength – meaning it was actually just a tropical storm. The new findings were released Dec. 14 by the National Hurricane Center, the latest of equivalent post-mortems the agency has posted on every other storm of the 2011 hurricane season. Every year, …
The Mahwah Family Flood Relief Fund, a charity set up by the Immaculate Conception Church and township resident Michael Beatrice after Hurricane Irene, has collected about $26,000 that it plans to distribute to families whose homes were affected by the natural disaster. According to Beatrice, the charity is looking for residents to apply to the group now to get their share of the collected funds. “Anyone who lives in Mahwah, was affected by the hurricane, and has yet to receive help can apply,” he said. Those looking to apply can do so through an application that can be submitted via email. “…
Parishioners and Father Bill Sheridan of the Church of the Immaculate Conception have formed the “Mahwah Family Flood Relief Fund.” “We are collecting donations to help with families’ costs of temporary housing, whether it be renting a home or staying in a hotel, while their homes are being repaired,” said resident Michael Beatrice, one of the founding members of the fund. “The hotels have been so generous, but as time goes on it is just so hard for people to afford all of the costs associated with being displaced from their homes. We want to help.” Beatrice said the group, which formed …
As part of the Mahwah Municipal Aliance's Labor Day event for residents hit hardest by Hurricane Irene, EPA officials were on hand to give residents information on oil issues, household hazardous waste, and flood cleanup information. The EPA recommendations are attached to this article as pdfs. Residents still dealing with oil residue from the Tuxedo, NY fuel spill during the storm are asked to report it to the Mahwah Police at 201-529-1000.
The Mahwah Municipal Alliance and Police Department hosted an event Monday to help residents hit hardest by Hurricane Irene. The residents were able to meet with representatives from FEMA, the EPA, the DEP, and The Home Depot to learn the best ways to fix their flood-ravaged homes, and finance the repairs. "It truly was an opportunity for the Police Department and MMA to give back to the community we serve," Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said. "I believe the event was a great success." In addition to the valuable information, the event was also an effort to help the residents return to …
The Mahwah Municipal Alliance is setting up a Labor Day event Monday to help West Ward families ease into a normal “back-to-school" transition. Sure, it may be tough thinking about heading back to school when your family is dealing with throwing away water-damaged items, tearing out sheetrock, replacing appliances, living with family or friends, and trying to deal with some of the worst weather damage Mahwah homes have seen in quite some time. But, kids whose homes hit hardest by Hurricane Irene are headed back to classes this week with everyone else. Starting Monday at 12 p.m., the MMA is …
A week ago this Sunday, calls started coming into the Co. 1 firehouse around 6 a.m., volunteer firefighter Tom Murphy said. The firefighters had been waiting for the calls since about 9 p.m. the night before. The first calls weren’t that difficult, he said. An elderly couple taken from their home on Divine Drive only required a flat-bottom rowboat. From there, as Hurricane Irene rains came down harder and the Ramapo River crested and overflowed, pouring thousands of gallons of water into Mahwah streets, the rescues got a little more complicated. Major roadways – Route 202, Route 17, Franklin …
Hurricane Irene struck the state last week, and dealt catastrophic, and sometimes fatal damage to communities across New Jersey. In Lawrence, rescuers found the body of a man on Tuesday who was sucked down a manhole. Cesar Ortiz, 50, was trying to clear floodwater from his landscaping supply company. Princeton EMT Michael Kenwood was laid to rest in Paramus on Wednesday after he was killed during an attempted water rescue during Hurricane Irene. First responders from across the state paid tribute to Kenwood, an East Windsor resident. Kenwood died in Princeton, while he and another EMT were …
Mahwah’s Department of Public Works will begin curbside pickup of brush, tree limbs, branches, and other debris that residents have been collecting since Hurricane Irene brought down many trees and branches last Sunday and Monday, Mayor John DaPuzzo said at Thursday night’s town council meeting. The DPW is going to start in Cragmere and continue throughout the township, “hopefully” reaching all residents “within two weeks,” he said. Residents who might continue collecting debris over the Labor Day Weekend are being asked to “have patience” while the DPW makes its way around town, due to the …
Mahwah water wells that were closed as a precaution after a fuel spill in Rockland County, NY during Hurricane Irene have been reopened, Town Council President John Roth said at Thursday night’s Town Council meeting. “The consensus opinion is that the large flood volume of water during the storm flushed the vast majority of the petroleum product downstream. Although there may be some residual surface and shoreline contamination, the aquifer 100 feet below the surface has not been affected,” the township announced on its website Thursday. The announcement also said that the township’s water …
Residents in Mahwah who sustained damage during Hurricane Irene can now apply for FEMA aid grants. Information on applying has been posted on the township’s website, according to Mayor John DaPuzzo. “I was in touch with Representative Scott Garrett’s office [Thursday], and they let me know that residents can start applying for grants,” he said. The following is posted on the township’s website: The federal government has declared parts of New Jersey, including Bergen County, to be a major disaster area. Federal aid has been made available to State and local governments for Emergency …
Residents who need to apply for permits to do repair work on their homes from damage incurred as a result of Hurricane Irene will not need to pay township fees, Mayor John DaPuzzo told Patch Wednesday. “Mahwah is waiving all permit fees for repairs people need to make as a result of the storm,” he said. After residents in the most affected homes clean out them out, they need to wait for township inspections before power can be restored to their homes. DaPuzzo said the township is waiving permit fees to help ease the burden of the storm. The waivers “will not apply to additions” and other non-…
To the Editor: I am writing this to express my profound gratitude for the generosity of all those involved with the helping of Hurricane Irene. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragic event. Even though we had early warning signs of what could happen, no one can really anticipate the multitude of catastrophic events and what can occur. The outstanding success of the operation would not have been possible without the support of many individuals and organizations that were not only supportive but tireless and resourceful in their response. Any attempt to list everyone …
A Mahwah resident is organizing a volunteer group to help residents clean up their homes that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Irene. Suzy Kozakiewicz Godding said the new “Mahwah Elves” will be volunteering clean up services, delivering food and water, and other forms of assistance to the residents of “Catherine Ave, Strysco, Brook, Brakeshoe Place, Reich Ave and others near me devastated by Hurricane Irene.” The Elves first meeting will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Authorized Winthrop Service Vacuum Repair Shop on Route 202, but will be welcoming more volunteers whenever they …
As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, 433 Orange and Rockland customers in Mahwah were still without power as a result of Sunday's storm. O&R will be distributing ice to customers on Wednesday, August 31, at the following locations: From 2 -4 p.m. Boulders Ball Field Pomona Road Pomona, NY Orange County Government Center (site of the former Orange County jail as far back on Erie as possible farthest spot from Government Center) 40 Erie Street Goshen, NY Luhrs Lumber Yard 475 Route 6 and 209 Milford, PA 18337 From 6 - 8 p.m. Ramsey OEM 33 North Central Avenue Ramsey, NJ Deer Park Town Hall 420 Route …
Though many of the “West Ward” residents in Mahwah estimate they had “about fifteen feet of water” inside their homes during Irene Sunday, they remained hopeful and grateful Tuesday afternoon. As residents cleared debris from their houses, filling DPW dumpsters almost to their brims, and prepared their homes to have deteriorated sheetrock cut out of them, they expressed thanks. “We couldn’t have gotten through this without our neighbors,” said Christine Ervin, a Catherine Ave. resident who left her home Sunday after rushing waters burst through the lower floor windows, said. “The community …
Mahwah residents are being asked to conserve water as two township wells are being shut down while Ramapo River water is tested for contamination from a fuel spill in Tuxedo, NY, Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said. The township water department sent out an alert saying it was shutting down wells as a “precautionary measure” to “ensure no contamination takes place.” Batelli, who said the PD is working with the water department and officials from both Bergen and Rockland county, said the move is to “err on the side of caution.” Batelli says the PD has received conflicting reports about the …
County leaders took to the streets Monday to talk with weary residents and begin assessing the scope of Irene’s destruction, as some Bergen towns braced for more flooding and thousands remained without power across the area. Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, emergency management head Dwane Razzetti and county freeholders toured hard-hit areas in Lyndurst, Rutherford, Fair Lawn, Lodi and Hillsdale. They were met by frustrated and angry residents along the way, most notably in Lyndhurst, which has seen perhaps the worst flooding in its history. “I can’t stay in my house and I have a …
The Mahwah Health Department Posted the Following Tips and Advice on The Township's Website: Whether it occurs during a seasonal storm such as a flood or hurricane or simply as a result of work being done on electric lines, power failures can put us at increased risk for food borne illness. After a power failure you might not have heat, refrigeration or water, which can possibly contaminate or spoil food. Please take a few moments to read the following food safety guidelines from the Mahwah Health Department that should be applied during a power failure. Use a Thermometer: Keep an appliance …
The Ramapo River continued to retreat Monday into Tuesday, according to National Weather Service measurements. Tuesday morning at 6:45 a.m., the river in Mahwah was at 8.58 ft., just over half-a-foot higher than the flood level. The NWS forecasts that the River will continue to recede all day, with it reaching safe, non-flooding levels by Tuesday evening.. The river crested at 15.78 ft. Sunday afternoon, well above seven feel over the flood level. A flood warning remains in effect in the township until Tuesday evening.
