75 Children, Adults Rescued From Flooding In One Passaic County Town: Police

WOODLAND PARK, NJ — At least 75 children and adults were rescued from rising floodwaters in one Passaic County town amid Tuesday's thunderstorms, police said.

Woodland Park Police Chief Michael Brady said that after a severe rainstorm swept through the area around 3 p.m. Tuesday, adults and children were rescued from two schools, a doctor's office, and several stores.

Eleven kids and eight adults were rescued from Bright Future Learning Academy Day Care on Lackawanna Avenue, he said. Another four adults and 11 children were rescued from Kiddie University Day Care on the same street.

Additionally, adults and children were rescued from Woodland Park Pediatrics on Lackawanna Avenue, a Barnes and Noble on Route 46 West, a Best Buy on Andrews Drive, and one person in a vehicle near Route 46.

Most people rescued from the floods were taken to the Woodland Park Municipal Building at 5 Brophy Lane, where they were able to contact family members or friends for transportation, Brady said.

A water main break that occurred on Rifle Camp Road during the storm had to be addressed after floodwaters receded, Brady said.

Any remaining closed roadways reopened around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, he said.

Dr. Mannan Razzak at Woodland Park Pediatrics thanked responders on social media, and said a planned anti-flooding project in town needs to move forward.

"A heartfelt thank you to the courageous members of the Woodland Park Police Department and the West Paterson Fire Department," he wrote. "A special thank you to Sergeant Morrison for driving our staff back to their vehicles after all of the children had safely gone home."

He added, "The Peckman River flood mitigation project was fully funded by Congress in 2022. With flooding continuing to threaten our residents and businesses, it’s time to move this long-awaited project forward. Our community cannot afford further delays."

Rain Total Reports

Flooding closed roads and caused damage throughout Passaic County and North Jersey from Monday night into Tuesday, resulting in dramatic photos such as these in the nearby town of Hawthorne:

Some Passaic County towns received as much as 5.46 inches of rain during the storms on Tuesday, said the National Weather Service, with Hawthorne receiving the most.

The area will get a break from the rain this weekend, forecasters say, with partly sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday morning. More rain will move in overnight into Monday, the NWS said.