Dramatic video shows roof collapse at BJ's Wholesale Club in Ocean Township, N.J. amid heavy rain
The roof of a BJ's Wholeale Club partially collapsed Monday morning amid heavy flooding in Ocean Township, N.J.
It happened at around 11:30 a.m. at the store on NJ-35 in the Oakhurst neighborhood, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office said.
Surveillance video captures the moment of the partial ceiling collapse and torrential flooding that followed, which left about a foot of water inside the store. A large chunk of the roof gave way under the weight of the water.
The video shows shoppers inside BJ's in the bakery section. The colllapsed roof unleashed a torrent of water that shoved several displays in the area across the floor. One table filled with products can be seen striking and pushing a person trying to get away.
Some 27 people were in the store at the time of the collapse. Fortunately, there were no injuries, authorities said.
"Several reports of several people trapped inside the building, so we activated the mass casualty protocol, Ocean Township Police Chief Michael Sorrentino said.
The store was evacuated. Urban search and rescue crews moved in with dogs and drones to make sure everyone got out. Incredibly, no one was injured.
Two people were partially trapped, but freed themselves and safely left the store with everyone else, Sorrentino and Ocean Township Sheriff Shaun Golden said in a statement.
"This incident is another reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions," Golden said.
The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office posted an image from Route 35 that showed several vehicles deep in floodwater.
"Please stay clear of the area and allow emergency personnel to safely respond," the MCSO wrote on social media.
Flash flooding caused havoc on the roads.
"It just got bad. Like, all of a sudden, within minutes, it was low, then it just got high," motorist Duval Moore said.
Alexandros Gavakis got a call from his girlfriend, so he raced over to help her get out of her flooded car.
"I was trying to push her car. It wasn't working. So I just opened the door, picked her up, and I walked her out of there," he said.
"We already had vehicles that have stalled and are in the way of traffic, particularly first responders that need to get to actual emergencies," Golden said.
Storm damage cleanup continues in Paramus
In Paramus, the cleanup was still going strong Monday as crews cleared trees off homes and power lines.
The ongoing severe weather conditions has families in the area feeling on edge.
Block by block, wood chippers have been grinding their way through Saturday's storm debris.
"From first look, it doesn't look too bad. But I am curious to see what we are supposed to do next," Paramus homeowner Kevin Kim said.
"The whole house shook"
Kim just bought his house a month ago. He's waiting to find out if his roof is still in one piece.
"All of the wind started to just pick up, and we saw this first tree fall, and then it landed right in front of our doorstep. And while we were looking at that, we saw this one start to slowly fall and then it - when it hit the roof - the whole house shook," Kim said.
Trees toppled on cars, power lines, roads, fences and homes in Paramus. Many families in the area are now relying on generators.
"The timeline, earliest, would be sometime today. The latest estimate would be Friday this week," Mary Ferrazzano said.
Paramus Mayor Chris DiPiazza said his office has received 250 calls since Saturday night, and crews have been responding ever since the storm hit.
"We are asking our residents to just be patient. Our departments are all hard at work," DiPiazza said.
