Politics & Government

The Flood Question

Why did the water from Irene hit so hard and so fast?

During Hurricane Irene, it only took 45 minutes for floodwaters to completely cover Alvin Terrace and Marion and Warner Aves. The deluge was devastating. People were brought out of their homes in emergency boats. Some homes were rendered uninhabitable by the storm. Even homeowners who were relatively spared lost furniture and other possessions.

The question of why the water hit so hard and so fast is still open. Several theories of what caused the unprecedented flooding have been proposed. I sat down with several Township experts to see which, if any, were right.

The overall conclusion was that a variety of factors were responsible for the damage, ranging from weather leading up to the hurricane and poorly maintained infrastructure. But they also discounted several popularly held beliefs over the cause of the flood.

Non-Factors

Millburn Opening Its Floodgates
In conversation and in public meetings, many Springfield residents have attributed the quick onslaught of water to neighboring Millburn opening its floodgates and dumping thousands of gallons downstream onto Springfield.

Not true, experts say. There’s no way the opening the floodgates could have released the amount of water seen during the storm.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Springfield Road Supervisor Robert Boettcher said. The floodgates are four 6x8 wooden gates that they use to hold back a pond less than the size of the one in Meisel.”

Boettcher said that Millburn wasn’t exactly spared by the storm, noting that “Main Street in Millburn looked like a river.” The gates on the small fish pond are opened regularly without any ill effects on Springfield, due to the relatively small amount of water they are holding back.

“You can walk into the center of that pond and it’s up to my waist,” Boettcher said.

Springfield Township Administrator Anthony Cancro said he was working with his counterparts in Millburn about best practices in weather emergencies.

The Maintenance of the Morris Ave. Bridge
The bridge over the Rahway River at the Union/Springfield border is old and in need of repair. A low bridge composed of arches, it often collects debris and causes water to back up. Many believe that during the storm, the bridge acted like a dam, redirecting water into the nearby Springfield streets.

While Township employees agree the Union County-owned bridge is in need of serious overhaul, they discount the idea it was a serious factor in the flood. The dammed up bridge didn’t redirect the flow, they say: there was so much water that it enveloped the bridge entirely.

“The water level was a lot higher than a 100 year storm,” Springfield Township Engineer Sam Martini said.

Boettcher noted that during the storm, the water rose to the windows of a car parked on Morris Ave. near the bridge. With that much water, the bridge wouldn’t make a difference. Mardini said the bridge’s tendency to collect debris is a larger nuisance during smaller storms.

“The bridge needs to be replaced for other reasons,” Mardini said.

Nearby Construction Projects
Marion, Warner and Alvin were hit by Irene far harder than they were hit by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. One major change to the area: the Victory Road apartment building currently under construction across the street from the Elks building and immediately up the hill from the neighborhood. A number of residents have asserted that the building upset the natural barriers previously in place, setting the stage for the flood.

Mardini said the buildings went up with flooding in mind. The Department of Environmental Protection has strict rules for construction in floodplains, and Mardini said the developers followed the rules to the letter. The buildings’ foundations included water retention systems, which Township employees said worked as they were intended.

“The buildings functioned exactly as they were designed,” Mardini said.

Possible Factors

Rainy Weather Prior to the Hurricane
The hurricane followed by historically rainy summer; shortly after Irene, New Jersey State climatologist David Robinson told the Newark Star Ledger that August was the wettest month in New Jersey’s history. As a result, when Irene’s waters hit the earth, the ground was unable to absorb them.

Instead being soaked into the dirt, the rainwater flowed onto streets and causing rivers and streams to rise over their banks. 

Poorly Maintained Highway Overpass
Several residents and officials have complained about the state of the Route 78 overpass near the neighborhood, believing that poor maintenance by the Department of Transportation has led to a back up of silt and sediment. That backup is believe to have directed water into the Springfield streets.

“Did the sediment cause the water direction to change,” Mardini asked. “We don’t know that. My point is that there is enough sediment there to affect storage.”

Mardini said the township has been aware of the problem for years, and has brought the issue to county and state officials. Removing sediment is difficult, though.

“The county can’t remove the sediment,” Cancro said. “You can’t dredge anymore because of regulatory agency rules.”

The Intensity of Storm
The rain hit fast and it hit hard. Despite the best efforts of the township and county, it was overwhelming.

“It’s common sense,” Boettcher said. “You had a volume of water coming faster than we could handle.”


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