The township was recovering last week after Hurricane Irene caused flooding and power outages all around Hudson County. The storm hit hardest the night of Saturday, Aug. 27, only several days after residents felt the ground shake from a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Virginia on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
The town responds
Following an emergency preparation meeting with all municipal departments on Friday, Aug. 26, the town set up two shelters at North Bergen High School at 7417 Kennedy Boulevard West and John F. Kennedy School at 1210 11th St.
The North Bergen Connect system was utilized to notify all residents of the town’s plans by telephone at 6 p.m. that Friday.
Each shelter was opened at 6 p.m. on Saturday and supplied residents with generators, food, and water. Cots were supplied by the Red Cross, and each shelter was staffed by North Bergen police officers, Hudson County Sheriff’s officers, and school security personnel.
“North Bergen sustained minimal damage from Hurricane Irene.” – Mayor Nicholas Sacco
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The Department of Public Works had 25 employees working from 10:30 p.m. on Saturday to Sunday at 8:30 p.m., surveying any possible damage. Sacco also toured the town for possible wreckage in his own vehicle.
As the storm reached Hudson County late Saturday night, residents who wanted to go to the shelters were continuously transported by different township officials, including employees of the Parks and Recreation Department.
One death
North Bergen’s major loss came during the preparations for the storm, when a 60-year-old resident died after sustaining head injuries from a fall, according to police. The man fell roughly two and a half stories from a ladder while cleaning out the gutters at his 10th Street home to minimize damage from the upcoming storm. He died after being transported to Christ Hospital in Jersey City at about 5 p.m.
Roads flooded, 35 trees down
As the hurricane exited northward Sunday morning, the DPW reported that a total of 35 trees had been knocked down, each of which has since been removed. Seventy calls for downed branches were received, which are currently in the process of being cleaned up.
The DPW also cleared sewer lines and catch basins to prevent blocking. Roads were blocked off along Tonnelle Avenue from 51st to 91st streets, Bergenline Avenue from 79th to 85th streets, as well as parts of Kennedy Boulevard East. West Side Avenue and Bulls Ferry Road were also closed down due to flooding.
Officials from the Parks and Recreation Department were tasked with repairing the roof of Town Hall, which was damaged during the storm.
The town, which reported damages of approximately $100,000, plans to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster aid to recover some of the costs.
“Thanks to early planning and cooperation by all of our municipal departments, the hard work of our employees over the weekend, and a little luck, North Bergen sustained minimal damage from Hurricane Irene,” said Sacco.
Residents at the shelter
“We had about 30 people [at the High School shelter],” said Robert Dandorph, Superintendent of North Bergen Schools. “Everything worked really nicely.”
According to Dandorph, none of the North Bergen Schools experienced any flooding. The only exception was the guidance department office of the High School, which had minimal amounts of rain water.
“Nothing that’s going to delay the opening of the school,” said Dandorph. “No major thing that’s going to cost us a lot of money.”
Some, like Arthur Presslaff, a lifelong North Bergen resident, were able to remain in their North Bergen homes without any problems.
“The wind was severe but it wasn’t bad,” said Presslaff. “We’re very lucky along the Palisades.”
“Thank God that we survived this and there were no power outages,” he added. “As a senior citizen and disabled Marine veteran, that scares me.”
Presslaff, who has been going to James J. Braddock Park for over 50 years, reported that there was minimal flooding in the area.
“The lake did not overflow, which was very good,” said Presslaff, who added that many of the animals he sees on a daily basis seemed to survive the storm without any problems.
“The area in general held up really well,” he added. “I think we have a great Police Department in North Bergen and they did a great job in my opinion.”
Stephen LaMarca may be reached at slamarca@hudsonreporter.com.