Latest storm makes flood conditions even worse in Passaic County, New Jersey
PATERSON, N.J. -- Overnight rain made flooding worse for some families in Passaic County, New Jersey on Saturday.
"I can't go anywhere. I'm stuck," said Diana Congleton, of Wayne.
Congleton and her special needs sister, Tanya, live on the second floor of a house she rents. It hasn't had power since Tuesday night.
The Red Cross paid for a three-night hotel stay after the sisters evacuated Wednesday morning, but it ended Saturday morning.
Congleton is on unemployment and said she can't afford another hotel.
"These are all of the numbers I have been calling and everybody keeps saying 'Our hands are tied, our hands are tied, we don't have funds,'" said Congleton.
With nowhere to go and concerns over her sister staying in a shelter, Congleton said she feels they might have to resort to sleeping in her car.
"You can't be in a house with no electric, no heat, no hot water. It's like you're living in an abandoned building," said Congleton.
There was no answer from JCP&L as to when she'll get power back.
Gov. Phil Murphy and other elected officials surveyed the damage in Paterson, where the Passaic River rose over 10 feet in the past week.
The city has also dealt with at least 8,500 power outages.
"It feels like we're seeing the same movie again, and again, and again," said Murphy.
Solutions like resiliency projects, home elevation and buyout programs are proactive ones that will take years.
"We can do some things immediately, but most of the solutions here are gonna be medium and long term," said Murphy.
Ney Jaime owns a car repair business on flooded Bergen Street. He estimates more than $1 million in losses.
"The situation here is not good, you know? I lost everything," he said.
Frank Francisco wasn't even close to clearing all the water from his basement.
His street was one of many in Paterson hit hard by the recent storm. He has no hot water and three kids, but said he had nowhere else to go.
"Maybe we move, you know?" Francisco said.
An emergency shelter in Paterson had been offering residents a warm place to stay, but come Sunday it will only be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"We want people to know, if impacted by recent floods we've had, they can come for a meal, place to stay, and charge devices," said Sara Huisking, executive director of the Northern New Jersey Red Cross.
The Red Cross is encouraging families to come for food and emergency clean-up kits.
Last year, Paterson applied for funding to build a resiliency wall through the Department of Community Affairs, but it hasn't gotten approval yet.
