Homes Uninhabitable, Belongings Litter Streets Following Flood

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Floodwaters last weekend damaged hundreds of homes along the Passaic River to the point that dozens are now uninhabitable.

The Passaic and Peckman rivers flooded quickly over the weekend after a few months worth of rain fell within a matter of hours. Homes that are not in a flood zone were damaged.

The Little Falls Athletic Club started a GoFundMe campaign Tuesday morning to raise $5,000 for flood victims in that town.

Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said flood waters caused $3.5 million in damage in the borough. More than 200 homes and 75 businesses along Route 46 were flooded out, News12 reported. (See Related: Families Lose Everything, Cars Get Trapped In North Jersey Floods)

Gov. Phil Murphy Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Mommouth, and Ocean counties.

Dogs were rescued from rising water and Little Falls residents lost their homes and possessions following flash floods Sunday and Monday.

Mayor Belford Damiano declared a state of emergency in the township Sunday and people continued to recover from the worst flooding event since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Couches, furniture, and other belongings littered Little Falls streets as residents cleared their flood-damaged homes out Monday and Tuesday. Street parking is prohibited on several roadways.

In Woodland Park, dozens of dogs at Club Barks pet-setting business were rescued from rising flood water Saturday by workers at Gun For Hire, a nearby gun range. The animals spent the night at the gun range.

"We needed the hands," Club Barks worker Emily Tummino told CBS2. "They really made it happen, so we thank them."

Murphy toured Little Falls and Woodland Park at Damiano's and Kazmark's request. (See related: Shocking Videos Show Floating Cars In NJ Floods, Piling Up)

William and Francine Wright of Harrison Street in Little Falls moved into their home mere hours before a flash flood hit their street. They lose everything, NorthJersey.com reported.

"We had just moved in our stuff," Wright told the governor. "We lost everything."

Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark said 42 vehicles from a Jeep dealership on Route 46 that were washed away damed up the Peckman River, which caused the river to rise and flood the borough.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photos: Debris and possessions from flooded homes in Little Falls litter the streets as Governor Phil Murphy visits with flood victims in what some called the worst flooding to hit the area since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. (Courtesy of the New Jersey Governor's Office)