Heavy Rains Caused Minor Flooding, No Evacuations

The heavy rain that came through the area Sunday into Monday caused some flooding in Westwood but residents were not evacuated, according to officials.

Chief Frank Regino said a section of Broadway was closed down for a period overnight because of water in the roadway and there was some flooding in the area of Steuben and Harding avenues, but there was no situation like the .

Regino said residents in the apartment complexes where parking lots are prone to flooding were notified and moved their cars out of the area in advance.

OEM Coordinator Darren Blankenbush said the borough was lucky. "We really dodged a bullet last night," he said Monday morning. "Basically everything was in place for some significant flooding."

Blankenbush said the Woodcliff Lake reservoir was full and the Pascack Brook was swollen and overflowing in spots. But he said the sustained rain overnight didn't happen and that helped minimize the flooding.

Residents who have signed up for phone notifications received two warning messages, according Blankenbush -- one around 5 p.m. and another around midnight. The first advised residents that flooding was possible. The second warned that flooding was likely to occur.

Blankenbush said that some homes and businesses may have seen "groundwater saturation" but not enough to force evacuations.

Westwood is still under a Flash Flood Watch through Monday night, with the National Weather Service predicting a chance for more rain into Tuesday.

Blankenbush said he is keeping an eye on the weather reports and monitoring the situation. He said officials are ready to help residents if the need arises.

"Hopefully we don't get heavy, sustained rain," he said.