Just last week, catastrophic downpours flash-flooded parts of southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Communities were reeling from record flooding—flooding that resulted in declarations of disaster and rapid mobilization of emergency response. Overnight, on Monday, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, declared a disaster emergency. More than 7 inches (17.8 cm) of rain accumulated in only five hours, overpowering local infrastructure and prompting exorbitant damage across the region.
The Mount Joy fire department told their local newspaper that many Mount Joy residents were really up against the wall. More than 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water inundated their homes. Emergency responders were quick to respond, performing 16 water rescues with no injuries reported. Come Monday night, the skies started to clear. Water levels in Mount Joy began to drop, providing welcome relief to the hard-hit town.
Executive Director Carolyn Fortino underscored the persistent dangers posed by the flooding crisis. She urged residents to heed a new travel ban on all vehicular movement, except when people from an area under flooding or evacuation order are moving to safety.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, significant flooding impacted several areas, including Metuchen, where Mayor Jonathan M Busch took to Facebook to highlight the severity of the conditions. By Monday evening, water levels in Metuchen had started to go down.
Then tragedy struck again just a couple of days later in Plainfield, New Jersey. In August, two men died after their car was washed away by flash flooding into Cedar Brook. Governor Phil Murphy has since declared a state of emergency. He was led to act by danger presented by the inclement weather and severe flooding from the heavy downpours.
In North Plainfield, a home fell off its foundation and ignited in a submerged community. This incident could be related to an explosion that was reported shortly after the family had fled the building. As the full breadth of the damage is still being assessed, this outlook will likely change.
New York City was largely spared, but the storm’s impact still rocked the region, including the temporary suspension of subway service across the system due to flooding. Other subway lines faced widespread delays, adding to the disruption that many of the region’s commuters were already facing due to the storm. A flood emergency was declared for Staten Island, which received between about 4-6 inches (10.2-15.2 cm) of rainfall.
Philip Colvin, a local official, noted the importance of the disaster declaration for Mount Joy: “The declaration enables us to access additional resources to support residents and accelerate recovery efforts.” The region now more than ever needs our help and support. While they haven’t finished determining the extent of the damages, they shouldn’t wait to start planning their recovery.
Especially as conditions started to improve a bit by Monday evening, there was a sense of relief among many residents. “It looks like the worst of the storm is behind us and thankfully, everyone is safe,” echoed sentiments shared by various community members.