Volunteers Respond to Flood Disaster in Somerset County
Bound Brook (Somerset)- Volunteer fire fighters responded to Bound Brook in Somerset County for a Mutual Aid- Out of County Dewatering Assignment on Thursday, April 19th. Along with Washington Township, Princeton Borough, Trenton, Rusling Hose, West Trenton, and Union Titusville were contacted by John Kubilowitz to gather up volunteers to respond. OEM and Somerset County had asked for assistance from Mercer County units in the removal of flood waters from basements of residences and businesses.
Firefighters Lou Puglisi and Bryan Eveland were two volunteers from Station 40 who responded. With a convoy of 8 emergency apparatus, fire fighters proceeded up to Watchung Fire Company from the Dempster Fire Academy. With all of the equipment combined from each crew, there was over 1000ft of 1 ¾” hose, 10 gas pumps, 15 submersible electrical water pumps, and 10 gas powered electrical generators. The coordinator of the response was very pleased with the outcome number of resources and equipment.
As the convoy arrived at Watchung Fire Company, they were met by the Somerset County Coordinator and were advised that there will be two teams, Mercer team 1 and Mercer Team 2. Fire Fighters from Princeton Borough, Rusling Hose Company and Washington Township created the Mercer Team 2. Each team was given a location to respond to and meet with the section leader to receive a briefing on the locations.
Each team was faced with an obstacle and a challenge to gain entry to the basements of the homes and businesses. However, with proper authority the teams were granted to gain entry through front or rear doors to gain access to the basement to investigate the water levels and the severity. Many buildings were apartment row homes which had a section of basement for each one which had made access gaining a complication due to clutter build up inside the apartment and clutter in the basements and up through the stairways.
Locations to be investigated by team 2 were a total of nearly 30. With good communication and the right number of team members each had a task to make the investigation and water removal easier and quicker. The Salvation Army was on hand to supply water, Gatorade, food, and other supplies that might have been needed.
With water levels ranging from 6 inches to 7 or 8 feet, Mercer Team 2 had a slight problem with a last minute notification by Somerset Coordinator 99-A of a location on the street that they were on. A bar and restaurant business was reported to have significant water levels in the basement. Gaining entry through a set of bilk co doors the team was faced with water levels high enough that the water flowed up and out of the basement through the doors. Not knowing exactly how big the basement was and what exactly was in it, Trenton Fire & Rescue who responded with the Mercer units up to Somerset was contacted to aid with the removal. Team 2 set up one of their largest gas pumps to start the process while Trenton set up their 3 inch suction and discharge. With the help of their pump, the water level was brought down to the nearest inch within 45 minutes. Investigating the room size, it was estimated to be a 30x25 ft room.
Water levels along the streets were reported to be as high as 10 to 12 feet high which caused sever damage to homes and businesses. After being in Bound Brook since 8:45 a.m., the numbers of locations for Team 2 were decreasing. Finally at a little after 5 p.m. the team finished up their last location and was released by Somerset County Command.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKING UP THE PIECES
Friday, April 20, 2007
BY NYIER ABDOU AND JOE TYRRELL
Star-Ledger Staff
Teams of county, state and federal officials penetrated flood- stricken portions of the state yesterday sizing up damage in painstaking detail to put a dollar figure on a week of destruction. In Somerset County, which is among eight counties that remain under a state of emergency, flood- stricken towns are beginning to get a handle on total damages.In hard-hit Bound Brook, residents and business owners were allowed limited access to two of three downtown sections yesterday. The third section, along the western side of downtown, is ex pected to reopen today. State inspectors supplemented local officials and utility representatives to speed up evaluating flooded buildings, but displaced residents are not yet allowed to move back to homes in the flood zone, said Mayor Frank Ryan.
"They may have electrical panels that are out, or water heaters, or they may be uninhabitable be cause of water damage," Ryan said. Some people were in tears yesterday as they got a first look at their water-damaged properties.
"All our food is wet. We lost everything," said Olmer Parra, 40, as employees emptied the contents of his Main Street business, J&E Bakery and Deli. Several locations already smelled of mold, forcing workers to wear masks as they removed bags of wet debris. Most of the cleaning efforts were pushed to beat an 8 p.m. curfew enforced by State Police and a team of 10 National Guard soldiers. Acting Police Chief Thomas White said police are making common-sense exceptions.
"If someone needs their prescription drugs, or an oxygen bottle, or there's a dog who will die if they're not taken care of, we're allowing people to go in and get them," he said. Investigators from the Federal Emergency Management Agency joined State Police and local officials to form six preliminary damage assessment teams, which sur veyed flood-affected areas in Ber gen, Burlington, Essex, Middlesex and Passaic Counties yesterday. Teams toured Somerset County earlier in the week, said FEMA spokeswoman Barbara Lynch. Some areas remain unreachable and teams will continue their work into the weekend, said Lynch.
"Paterson is still under water," said State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Jeanne Hengemuhle. Hundreds of Paterson residents were evacuated from their homes this week and several of the city's bridges remained flooded yesterday, said Emergency Management Director Frank Malzone.
"Just in one section alone I can think of about 12 or 14 roads that are closed," Malzone said. "It's al most unbelievable trying to get across that darned river anyplace." Ann Smith, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross' statewide operation, said about 1,000 people are still in shelters and unable to re turn to their homes. Evacuees re main lodged at 10 shelters in Bound Brook, Fairfield, Manville, Paramus, Paterson, and Wayne, Smith said. "There's still a huge need for financial assistance," said Smith, who also urged people to volunteer their time. "There's a lot of people who lost a lot." Two National Guard teams also remain in Fairfield, in Essex County, said Lt. Col. James Garcia. Fairfield Mayor Rocco Palmieri said floodwaters have receded in parts of the township but most main roads remain closed.
"We're passed the flood stage. Now we're into the cleanup and restoration stage," said Palmieri, who estimated damages around $15 million. "Getting people back home is a priority for us right now." Residents and local officials are anxiously awaiting the final word about federal assistance. In Manville, where residents have begun pumping their basements, residents are running into new problems.
"We need cleaning supplies," said Mayor Angelo Corradino. "Our local Wal-Mart is out, the A&P is out." Corradino estimated damage to the borough between $11 million and $12 million. The figures are far lower than during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, but residents need to hear about federal aid, Corradino said.
"We need the help," Corradino said. "We can't survive this without it." But securing federal assistance means churning through the levels of federal bureaucracy. FEMA assessment teams will sort damage into three categories -- "minor damage," "major damage" and "completely destroyed." The information is reviewed in light of the history of flooding in the area and local and private insurance coverage, Lynch said. Federal funds are only available once the president declares the state a disaster area. In South Bound Brook, Mayor Richard Eickhorst was stressed by his other municipal job: volunteer firefighter. But after spending days pumping out flooded basements, yesterday he began to see the light at the end of the funnel.
"We're 99 percent dried up," Eickhorst said. "All the basements basically have been cleared." About 12 to 15 people along Canal Road or the Franklin Street area, Eick horst said, but all of them have been allowed to return home. Red Cross workers have begun to interview evacuated families in Bound Brook and Manville individually to gauge their needs during the transition from the disaster's initial shock.
"Our goal is not to shelter long- term -- it's to secure them, and start processing them," said Amy Sutton, executive director of the relief agency's Greater Somerset County chapter. "Bringing people back to some level of normalcy is of utmost urgency at this moment. ... I think the next few days is going to be critical."
