The following is a list of areas
that are prone to flooding and may be impassable during prolonged
periods of heavy rain:
· 4th Avenue under NJ Transit Overpass
· Springdale Avenue under NJ Transit Overpass
· North Grove Street under NJ Transit Overpass
· North Oraton Parkway (southbound) between North Arlington Ave
& Park Avenue.
· South Harrison Street at Orange City Line
Street flooding and
“ponding” occurs in various parts of the city when
“curb storm drains” become clogged with leaves and
debris during prolonged periods of heavy rain. The most common
locations for street flooding are:
· Elmwood Avenue & South Arlington Avenue
· Chestnut Street & South Arlington Avenue
· Lenox Avenue & South Arlington Avenue
· Summit Street between North Clinton Street & Ashland
Avenue
· Melmore Gardens between North Clinton St & Lincoln Street
· William Street between North 17 & North 18th Street
· Park Avenue & North 15th Street
* * * * *
What I find so disturbing about
this report is the assumption that this is a recurring problem
about which we can do nothing except warn residents that flooding
will happen after heavy rains in those areas. This has gone on
for years. Yet Mayor Lester Taylor is urging the council to pass
a budget which raises property taxes in order to bring Caribbean
Food and Culture to the lower Main Street area, and to
"improve the quality of life in East Orange," whatever
that means.
The problem of flooding is going
to happen again and again unless some serious action is taken to
stop it. The areas that are prone to flooding are well known and
this has been going on for years. Why not take this summer to
stop it once and for all? It's a matter of contouring the roads
and draining away the water before it turns into a pond. In my
cellar I have a sump pump that turns on when it detects water has
reached a certain height, and then it begins pumping out the
excess water before it can cause a flood in my cellar. I can't
believe there isn't a similar pump available for city drains to
divert the water away to other locations that can handle the
run-off better.
As for those areas that are prone
to flooding when curb storm drains become clogged with leaves and
debris, the solution might be in adding screens and screen
barricades around those drains. They might have to have someone
in a city truck go out just prior to a known storm (we have
accurate weather forecasts these days, so we are not exactly
taken by surprise any more) and deposit these screen barricades
around those drains which are well known for this problem.
We need to stop reacting and
start acting to solve these problems. The same is true of
potholes. There are potholes around the city that have been there
for years without anyone filling them in. All it takes is for
people from the city who are already being paid to do this work
to actually get out from behind desks, drive around, and fill
every pothole they find. It's not rocket science.
