'Everybody forgot about Henri': Monroe community finally gets flood money year after storm

MONROE – New Jersey lawmakers have allocated $1 million in the state budget for flood mitigation at the Rossmoor adult living community, which was hit especially hard by flooding during Tropical Storm Henri last year.

The funding will be provided to the Rossmoor Community Association during this budget year, which extends to June 30, 2023, Mayor Stephen Dalina said. It is not yet clear when the funding will arrive.

“This grant is a positive step forward, helping us make improvements to control flooding,” said Dan Jolly, president of Rossmoor Community Association. “On behalf of our residents, I would like to express my appreciation to Mayor Dalina, the 14th District legislators and Middlesex County for their steadfast commitment to the people of our community.”

Tropical Storm Henri swept through Middlesex County on Aug. 22, 2021, dumping as much as more than 8 inches of rain in some areas, leaving more than 170 township households flooded with the vast majority in Rossmoor.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated that damage from Henri did not meet the monetary threshold necessary to qualify for federal disaster relief funding, according to the township.

Thomas Curry, general manager of the Rossmoor Community Association which oversees 18 independent sub-associations in the development, said the $1 million will be allocated to come up with plans to mitigate flooding in the Cedar Brook and Shallow Brook areas within Rossmoor.

"Rossmoor Community Association along with Monroe Township and both of their engineering firms will be meeting and working together to determine the best way to manage this problem," he said. "You can't resolve an 8-inch rainstorm, but you can certainly help to mitigate flooding in the future."

Curry explained Cedar Brook and the headwaters of Shallow Brook run through a portion of Rossmoor, which flooded over during the storm. The community of 2,303 residences saw 118 homes flooded, he said.

"There was an incredible downpour in a short period of time and the storm water systems were never designed to handle that," Curry said. "Rossmoor was designed in the 1970s before the idea of controlling how quickly the water made it to the stream and to the river was thought about. Most of the storm water pipes go directly to Cedar Brook.”

Curry said Henri was not Rossmoor's first flooding event.

"Some houses over the last 15 years located in the FEMA flood zone on Cedar Brook have flooded three times," he said "They weren't severely damaged by flooding each time, except in the case of Tropical Storm Henri, but there has been previous flooding."

He said a well was constructed at a retention basin on Applegarth Road prior to Henri, but more needs to be done.

In addition, Curry said, six buildings around Sudbury Lane were flooded in a flash flood on July 17, 2005, but that area is not in any designated FEMA flood zone.

The Shallow Brook section along Sudbury Way that leads to a retention basin by the New Jersey Turnpike is already being studied.

"The association has already hired an engineer," Curry said. "We've already done topographic studies and they are in the midst of coming up with a recommendation to correct that. It’s a small area and we should be able to help resolve the problem, but nothing is going to help an 8- or 9-inch rainfall."

During a tour of flooded homes last year with Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Dalina pledged to advocate for state funding that would be used for future flood mitigation. The mayor turned to the 14th District state legislators – Sen. Linda Greenstein and Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson – who advocated for Monroe during the state’s budget process this spring, the township said.

"I want to express my deepest appreciation to our state representatives on behalf of so many residents who were impacted," Dalina said.

He also thanked the Middlesex County Board of Commissioners, led by Commission Director Ronald G. Rios, who underscored the need for flood mitigation at Rossmoor.

Township response

The township provided resources and organizations to assist residents impacted by the flooding, setting up the Office of Emergency Management team’s command center in the Rossmoor clubhouse.

The mayor and council authorized the use of federal funds available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reimburse residential property owners up to $5,000 per household to replace or remediate heating units and thermostats; mold; insulation and drywall, and electrical panels, wiring and outlets.

This program, in which applications were accepted until Dec. 31, 2021, provided a total of $227,631 to 52 homeowners, according to the township.

In addition, the township approved 23 applications from flood victims for immediate repairs under the income-based Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Program, which was established under the larger Monroe Township Housing Element and the court-ordered Fair Share Plan to assist income eligible residents repair their homes to comply with current housing codes and safety standards.  The program is funded by a state assessment on new construction.

The deadline for applications from Henri flooding victims has expired, however, the program for income-based qualifiers is ongoing. 

Approved residents received funding that ranged from $33,000 to $87,000 for a total of $1,501,907 for Henri repairs, according to the township.

Under the Affordable Rehabilitation Program, participating residents who remain in their homes for 10 years have their loans forgiven. Residents who stay in their homes for eight years must pay back 50 percent of the loan, and residents who stay in their homes for six years must pay back 80 percent of the loan. 

Curry said the homeowner's association had a flood insurance policy that helped residents located within the FEMA flood zone.

"However, not all of the houses that were flooded were in that zone," he said.

Another insurance policy was in place that covered the buildings.

"Those funds were used for remediation in homes after the flood," he said. "It basically paid to dry the houses out, remove the drywall and the rest was left to the individual owners to repair. That's because they live in condominiums where the inside walls are their responsibility."

Fundraisers were also held for residents, which distributed money, used furniture and other much-needed items to residents, Curry said.

Residents' response

Rossmoor resident Frank Waltzer, who lives on Sudbury Lane in a downstairs condo that flooded during Henri, was one of the luckier ones.

"I came out OK," he said. "I'm not happy this happened, and I didn't have flood insurance because I didn't think it was necessary because we're not in a designated flood zone. I'm pleased because I did receive money from a township program that helped me rebuild my house, and I also started a GoFundMe page for myself. I am encouraged that they are going to try to fix the cause of the problem. We know we can't stop a 100-year storm, but we at least want a fighting chance."

Waltzer said he does have flood insurance now.

Waltzer said his wife, Laurie, and their cat were rescued by boat from their home during the flooding.

Francesca Guida owns a condo on Sudbury Lane where her 79-year-old mother lives.

The morning of the storm, her mom called and said there was water everywhere and her Pomeranian was missing. She said there was water up to the mattress in her bedroom in her first-floor condo.

Her mom found her dog, and both were rescued by boat and taken to the clubhouse.

"She made it out with only the clothes on her back," Guida said. "She stayed with me for six months. She was lucky because she had a place to go, but her condo, furniture, appliances and all of her belongings were completely gone."

Guida said she didn't have flood insurance because she was told the condo was not in a flood zone, although she has later learned that the area flooded about 15 years before.

"Had I known maybe I wouldn't have bought in that area or I would have gotten flood insurance," she said.

Guida estimated that she spent between $50,000 and $60,000 to restore the home and replace the damaged items.

"I went to meetings," she said. "The association said they didn’t have enough money to help us, but we do pay a monthly maintenance fee. How is that possible?"

Guida said she did receive $5,000 from a township program and a $1,000 donation from a church.

"Everybody forgot about Henri," she said. "Everybody forgot about the victims. You're dealing with older seniors who had to dip into their life savings. People in other areas did receive Ida recovery money. I think the victims of Henri are entitled to reimbursement from somewhere."

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Monroe: Rossmoor community gets flood money year after Henri