From the Press of Atlantic City, March 30, 2010, Rob Spahr & Lynda Cohen, Staff Writers.
Greg Cantrell had avoided the floods - until now.
The Mullica Township resident's Reading Avenue home is off the road, so in his 11 years there, "I never had as much as a puddle," he said.
The recent weather has changed that.
On Monday afternoon, Cantrell's home was surrounded by water. The fourth time his formerly flood-less property has flooded this year.
"I'm not talking about just a small section of my yard with water in it," he said. "I'm talking about an acre property completely covered with water that I'd say is at least 2 feet deep."
As far as rain is concerned, March did a switch this year. It came in like a lamb. But it may take an ark to get out.
In the first 12 days of the month, southern New Jersey received about .8 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Since, nearly 5 inches have fallen - not including the 2 to 3 inches that fell Monday. Another one to two inches was expected overnight into today, meteorologist Anthony Gigi predicted.
Galloway Township police had to close part of Moss Mill Road and Pitney Road on Monday night due to flooding problems.
For Joseph Carbonaro, life isn't easy at the bottom. The Ocean View, Cape May County, resident lives on Woodbine Ocean View Road, downhill from Corsons Tavern Road.
"That road is higher, therefore, water doesn't go uphill," he said. "The flooding is all the way into the garage. It's coming up on the step to my whole downstairs den."
Earlier this month, the county pumped the area for three days and got the water down, but no one's been back, Carbonaro said.
"Nobody wants to part with a pump to help us," he said. "I don't mind paying taxes for my property and keeping it clean. I mind when I'm doing all this and the time comes when you need something (done) for you, they all run away."
Carbonaro has bought three pumps totalling $850, he said.
The main flooding complaints have been basements flooding, the National Weather Service's Gigi said.
"Given all the standing water that's around, that makes sense," he said. "I think that's been the biggest report."
Getting around outside the house hasn't been an easy venture either, many have found.
A trip to the bank paid out in soggy socks for Lyn Gardner on Monday.
She stopped at the PNC Bank in Margate to deposit a check and found the parking lot surrounded by ankle-deep water. So she parked a block away and made the splashy hike. By the time she made it inside, her boots, socks and feet were soaked.
"I definitely should have come to the bank at a different time," Gardner said. "This was not worth it."
But for those with flooded homes, there is no good time.
Mullica's Cantrell said it has cost him more than $900 when you add together the rental of pumps to remove the water, gas to power them and bottles of water to hydrate his family because of the well pump rendered useless.
"I just recently got back to work after being unemployed for a while," the plumber said. "I've had to borrow money from people because I don't have anything left."
On Monday afternoon, he and his family - including five of his grandchildren and four dogs - were waiting for help from the Red Cross.
"I dialed 911 because I just don't know what else to do anymore," he said. "It's a disaster. And we might be able to carry the kids out through the water, but where would we go from there? And I don't want to leave the dogs behind."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
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1 comment:
Is there any chance that our area will qualify for low cost FEMA loans? So many of us have had our basements destroyed. I've never had water in my house before this period that started around December.
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