House Pushed Off Foundation, 42 Submerged Cars In Basking Ridge

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — It was all hands on deck as first responders dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Basking Ridge.

There was so much water on Wednesday night that one house in the township was pushed off its foundation.

Residents of a home on Newell Drive called the township after high rising waters from the Harrison Brook pushed through the wall of the back portion of their foundation into the home, said Construction Official Dennis Bettler.

"The water left one wall suspended in mid-air. The foundation failed and is not there anymore, it fell in," said Bettler.

The residents were home at the time and called the township. Bettler said the township deemed the home unsafe and the gas and electricity were turned off.

The family is now displaced.

During the storm, Bernards Township Police also helped to rescue 42 drivers and their cars that drove into flooded waters, said Police Lt. Jon Burger.

There were no reported injuries from the rescues, said Burger.

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The rescues were reported across the township and as of 9 a.m. all township roads have reopened. The last to reopen was Valley Road due to a tractor-trailer being stuck in flood waters.

Drivers are reminded not to drive through high waters.

In total, Bernards Township received 7.33 inches of rain during Ida, according to the National Weather Service.

As of 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, 662 JCP&L customers were still without power. No estimated restoration timeframe was available.

The Passaic River at Millington is currently at 8.86 feet and is expected to continue to rise to 9.3 feet just above the moderate flooding mark, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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