Monday's one-two
punch of rain and wind worsened already concerning conditions
in Paterson for two
families whose backyards and basements flooded after a sinkhole was made worse
by a burst pipe.
The sinkhole formed on Linwood Avenue. The storms likely caused a pipe to burst, and in turn,
caused an already existing sinkhole to get much worse. The families
living in the two homes say that this has been a problem for several months and
that every time it rains, it gets worse.
The Pilar and Deleon
families say Monday around 1 p.m., there was at least three inches of water in
their backyards.
"This is not one
family affected,” says Melissa Pilar. “This is multiple families that have
lived here for years affected by those who pay taxes, who pay mortgages, who
work hard every day, to be affected by something that the town says is 'not my
problem.' Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
Resident Jasmine Deleon
says that her family can hear the ground moving under her home.
“We can even hear the tumbling rocks under the house trembling the
house,” says Jasmine Deleon. “So, you would be in the middle of doing something
and you have no idea what's going on under the house.”
It was unclear which town
is responsible for making the repairs. It could be Paterson or Wayne Township,
which has a construction site up the street which may have affected a burst
pipe.
The Pilar family says that
they will have to wait until Thursday to get a report from Paterson officials.