Little Falls residents slowly return home, begin cleanup following major flooding
The flooding was caused by the Passaic River overflowing due to heavy rain on Sunday into Monday.
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A handful of streets in Little Falls were reopened Thursday evening, allowing people to return home. The floodwater on those streets has finally receded.
The streets that have reopened include Parkway, Riverview Circle, Grey Rock, Orchard Street and West End Avenue. There is a police checkpoint at Parkway and Main where officers are checking identification of those going home.
However, others in town are still under an evacuation order because of high water. William Street and neighboring Louis Street are both impassable. Homeowners who were forced out on Monday and Tuesday will not be back Thursday night. The water on these streets is pulling back into the Passaic River at a very slow pace.
News 12 New Jersey spoke with Ronnie Cordero who lives in a duplex with his family on Louis Street. The family has been living at a hotel while waiting for the water to recede.
Considering the holidays are just days away, Cordero says this could not have come at a worse time.
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“We have no other options - like the streets are blocked off. The police aren’t letting anyone through. We just have to wait and hope the damage is bearable,” he says.
He was able to walk to his home and take a peek inside. He says he could see a watermark on the wall which was about 1 foot high.
“All of the furniture was just washed away. Looks like it came up kind of fast,” Cordero says.
Just a few blocks away on Grey Rock Avenue, a family had water in their garage used the afternoon to wash everything down and dry out.
News 12 spotted other people power-washing away all of the debris left behind by the river.
The Red Cross is in town handing out food and cleaning kits. They’re expected to return on Friday to help those in need.
