Westfield: School With 3 People Rescued Had 'Catastrophic' Flood

WESTFIELD, NJ — The special needs school where three custodians had to be rescued from the roof last week suffered "catastrophic flooding damage" from Tropical Depression Ida, said Mayor Shelley Brindle Tuesday.

Brindle said that hopefully, FEMA will include Westfield in its next round of federal funding, as that one school alone suffered from more than $3 million in damage.

The Westlake School, for students aged 7 to 21 with multiple disabilities, was expected to reopen, but some kids may have to be relocated.

"The water got so high that our first responders rescued three of their custodians from the rooftop in the height of the storm," Brindle said. The storm hit after school hours. PRIOR COVERAGE: Three Rescued From Roof Of Special Education School In Westfield

"We are working with their superintendent to identify possibilities for relocating their students while the school undergoes extensive repairs," Brindle said.

On Wednesday, Brindle said that during the storm on Sept. 1 and 2, the Westfield Police Department processed 1,300 911 calls, dispatched over 120 calls. "Over 60 cars were stranded with passengers trapped inside, and some residents were trapped on a rooftop, all heroically rescued by our Police and Fire Departments who then provided them with food and shelter in our Community Room." She also thanked the DPW and other workers.

Hoping For FEMA Flooding

Union County was among several North Jersey counties left off a list for the first round of FEMA funding reimbursement, something that aroused the ire of mayors and other officials.

Brindle said she and Westfield Police Chief Battiloro met with FEMA representatives Tuesday at the Westlake School, part of the assessment to determine if Union County meets the FEMA declaration criteria.

Brindle added, "We also visited the Conservation Center, where stranded cars are currently being towed. If you’re looking for your abandoned vehicle, it is most likely there. The police will continue to attempt to contact the owners to obtain title information.

"We then went to check on a beloved WHS teacher and resident on Prospect Street, whose flooding damage was some of the worst I’ve seen, happening while they were away which made matters worse. Once again, the neighbors lent a helping hand and were busy hauling items to the curb.

"As a reminder, take pictures of any and all damage you incurred and save every receipt. Please upload your damage information to this form so we can aggregate it for the state. I’ll provide FEMA and other relevant information as it becomes available."

For prior storm coverage, see: PRIOR COVERAGE: Three Rescued From Roof Of Special Education School In Westfield

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