Demarest Dam partially collapses, causes flooding in wake of October nor'easter

The Demarest Dam partially collapsed following Tuesday's nor'easter, causing flooding after the wall that surrounds a property on Academy Lane collapsed into pieces.

News 12 Staff

Oct 28, 2021, 11:05 AM

Updated 1,174 days ago

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The Demarest Dam partially collapsed following Tuesday's nor'easter, causing flooding after the wall that surrounds a property on Academy Lane collapsed into pieces.
The Cresskill Brook runs nearby, and flooding from storms since last month have impacted nearby towns, which include Demarest, Alpine and Cresskill. The flooding also impacted Cresskill High School, which could stay on remote learning until next year because of damage.
Meanwhile, Abraham Djebiyan, the homeowner whose wall collapsed, spoke with News 12 New Jersey and said he wants answers.
"This thing, it keeps happening. Obviously, no one is going to step in and stop it. Everything is neglected and we have rivers, we have small streams coming, drainage pipes... nobody's holding anybody responsible," Djebiyan said.
State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan said Wednesday there were no injuries reported, evacuations or road closures prompted from the collapse.
Djebiyan showed News 12 New Jersey video of when the flooding occurred on Tuesday, and video that shows flooding from when Ida came through back in September.
Flooding from Ida also damaged Holy Angels High School.