The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Tropical Storm Ida was one for the record books, the Township Manager told the Township Council on September 14.
Record flood levels of the Raritan and Millstone rivers, more water rescues than remembered in past storms and more streets flooded out than in past storms were noteworthy data points from Ida, Township Manager Robert Vornlocker told the Council.
“This one was like nothing I had ever experienced before,” he said. “I grew up in Manville, so I’ve been in floods since I was 6 years old.”
Both rivers bordering the township reached record levels after the storm roared into the township on September 1, causing untold amounts of damage to residents’ homes and businesses.
People living in Zarephath “suffered great devastation” from the flood, Vornlocker said. He said the culprit was a 45-foot section of a levee that was breached by the flood water, allowing 17 feet of water to inundate the area.
The water, he said, “up to the second floor of buildings they have there.”
There were still 18 people in the community who had to be rescued the next day by State Police helicopters and the Somerset Fire and Rescue Company water rescue unit, Vornlocker said.
There was an “overwhelming” number of road closures, Vornlocker said. “Numbers that we had never seen previously.”
“The flooding was predominantly along Canal Road,” he said. “There was some along Easton Avenue, along the backside.”
Willow Creek nursing home residents had to be evacuated, as did several employees of Wendy’s on Easton Avenue.
Township infrastructure also suffered, Vornlocker said.
“The pump station at Franklin Boulevard and Easton Avenue was flooded, but our water utility was able to get that back online the next day,” he said.
“Also, there was a catastrophic breach of a water transmission line on Weston Canal Road,” he said. “The floodwaters undermined a culvert adjacent to a sewer pumping station” compromising a 12-inch water main.
“The water utility came in Friday morning and finished work at 3 in the morning on Saturday to replace that section of pipe,” he said.
The historic Van Wickle House at Easton Avenue and DeMott Lane, on the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath, was flooded out, Vornlocker said.
“The Van Wickle House had two to four feet of water in first floor,” Vornlocker said.
He said the township has filed insurance claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the township’s Joint Insurance Fund.
“A flood remediation company has been contracted with, they’ll be in to do flood remediation, Vornlocker said.
