Heavy Flooding Causes Major Impact in Englishtown

Heavy flooding in Englishtown effected a number of homes located in low-lying areas and led to two water rescues during Hurricane Irene on Sunday, Aug. 28.

Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Lt. Peter S. Cooke Jr. said there was major flooding on the south end of Main St. by Park Ave. Basements and first floors of homes were flooded out near that intersection, according to Cooke. The north end of town on Main St. flooded, also. 

Water St. was equally effected by the rising water and several basements of homes on the street were flooded. As of last night, Cooke has not received an assessment of all of the homes or an exact number of how many residences were flooded. 

Even though before Hurricane Irene struck New Jersey, the lake filled up quicker than expected. Excess water flowed over the spillway within an hour, and then eventually over the banks, according to Cooke.

"I have been an officer in Englishtown since 2000, and I have never seen anything close to the flooding that we received this weekend," Cooke said.

The rainstorms from last week caused flooding, which had prompted the lieutenant to drain the lake before the hurricane, but the amount of water from the storm was extreme and because the ground was so saturated from the previous rainstorm, the additional water had no place else to go but into the streets, Cooke said.  

The most dangerous water rescue occurred on Sunday morning, when a Manalapan couple attempted to drive through Englishtown on Water St. through the flooding.  The couple was venturing to aid their daughter, an Englishtown resident who was experiencing flooding in her basement. 

The married couple ignored the orange barrels and warning signs that the police had placed on the street to prevent cars from driving through the flooded water, according to Cooke. 

"Neighbors on the street said they were yelling and screaming at them to turn around, to stop, to go back, and they continued anyway," Cooke said. 

After the car got stuck - trapped in the flooded water, three Englishtown police officers rescued the couple from the car: Scott Zapora, Nicola Costagliola, and Patrolman First Class Alexander Dinicola.

"The water was actually running extremely swift across the roadway, and if they had fallen it would've swept them right away," Cooke said. 

Once the water receded, the car was towed away. A second car attempting to cross town on Main St. additionally became trapped; the vehicle was also towed away once the flood waters withdrew. 

In terms of other damage, there was one large tree that fell across Water St., but was quickly cleared away. No other trees blocked roadways leading to closures. 

Cooke said that the majority of Englishtown residents' lives will go back to normal, as most of the town has regained any power that was lost during the storm. However, for the residents with damaged property and flood damaged homes, today will be full of clean up and assessment.