Flooding: A look at what's been done, and what can be done to combat it
Flooding has always been a part of our lives in North Jersey. As Staff Writer Scott Fallon's history piece tells us, a large geological basin formed 180 million years ago that would become the Passaic Valley with the Watchung Mountains to the east and Highlands ridges to the west.
Since then, we've brought in experts in the field and argued over solutions as development marched across North Jersey.
Below is a look at our coverage of flooding: what to do as you get reports of its approach, what to do when you find yourself in it, and options after the waters recede.
How to protect your home, what to do, who to call
Heed the warnings of the National Weather Service when it asks to "monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop."
Read more: Ways to prevent flooding in your North Jersey home (and what to do if it happens)
Depending on the area you're in, New Jersey looks to different NWS offices for forecasts and updates. If you're in North Jersey, your best bet is the New York station out of Upton. If you're going to be in Central Jersey, near the Shore or in South Jersey, turn to the Philadelphia/Mount Holly post.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also has ideas on prepping, including checking electrical connections, storm drains, and sump pumps and backflow valves.
But what do you do if your home floods? The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management shared a detailed checklist of how to manage the situation.
'Entire neighborhood on edge': North Jersey residents face more hardships from flooding
How to tell if your tree is at risk of falling
We talked with tree expert Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens, a few years back and he had some good tips on what homeowners can look for to indicate whether a tree is more likely to pose a hazard in a storm.
And there are plenty of things to check out, but he also warned not to assume all trees near a home or in a yard are dangerous and should be cut down. “We need trees,” Crawford said and tells us why, especially now in our time of climate change.
What is hydroplaning and what to do if it happens to you
If you've ever been transformed from the driver of a car into a passenger without leaving the driver's seat, then you've experienced hydroplaning. Your tires effectively ski across the surface of the water (or oil!) on a roadway.
Continental officials offered three basic tips for avoiding hydroplaning: reduce speed in wet weather, keep tires inflated and monitor tread depth. The last tip, monitoring the tread on your tires, can be accomplished by using a penny.
How about if you find you've lost control of the car due to hydroplaning? Well, there are recommendations for what to do, and not to do, too.
Read more: What to do if your car starts hydroplaning on a wet road
'That just made me cry': NJ funeral home offers hot tea, shelter for flood victims
Flooding in NJ is getting worse. We look at impact, solutions in our Saturation Point series
Our journalists wrote a series of stories that drill down on what can be done to mitigate floods from future storms. We checked into flood projects, many that were cast aside due to costs and other issues. We went into neighborhoods that often flood and spoke with experts and local officials about what has been tried to address the issue — and what more can be done to mitigate the threat of future flood damage.
We looked at how affordable housing often ends up being built in lower-cost, flood-prone areas, often putting those with the fewest resources at thegreatest risk of flood damage and homelessness. We wrote about options to mitigate flooding — including a the buyout of an entire neighborhood in Wayne.
Read more: Dive deeper into flooding with our Saturation Point series
Why is North Jersey's flooding so bad? Well, the region was a prehistoric lake
Let's go back. Way back.
The Passaic River Basin was a massive lake that formed 25,000 years ago after a glacier that covered a large portion of of North Jersey retreated. From there, there's the creation of a lake and eventually the issue of flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers were tasked with finding a solution, but efforts stalled because of a lack of funding and disputes over possible remedies. And decades later, came the construction and expansion of Routes 80, 46 and 23 through the flood plain.
Why NJ streets are not ready for escalating flash floods
So you wonder why you're facing flooding in storms big and small? Decades-old storm drains, pipes and other infrastructure have proved to be even less effective in recent years as rainstorms, especially heavy ones, become more common.
Add to that the concrete driveways and parking lots that come with development, eliminating the ability for vegetation and the earth to absorb rainwater, and it's a recipe for flooding. The water flows more quickly into local streams and rivers, inundating them so that they overflow their banks and flood roads and buildings.
Read more: Driven by climate change, here's why our streets are not ready for flash floods
Others of note
A decade after Sandy, devastated Meadowlands towns vulnerable: Our return to North Jersey areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 to find some residents rebuilt, elevating homes and some left and never returned. New flood defenses were installed, but storm surge remains a risk.
Hurricane Sandy-inspired flood project begins in Meadowlands: In October 2023, a flood resiliency project began for upgraded drainage in the Meadowlands region — areas vulnerable to flooding — to combat severe impacts of storm surges and rising sea levels. Affected communities includes Little Ferry, Carlstadt, Moonachie, South Hackensack and Teterboro and parts of Jersey City and Weehawken. Another project called for the building of floodgates in the Hoboken area.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ flooding: What's been done, and what can be done to combat it
