Englewood Mayor Calls On Congressman To Help With Flood Mitigation

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — After the city of Englewood took a massive hit from flooding, particularly of the Overpeck Creek, that occurred earlier this week, Mayor Michael Wildes, calling the event a "100-year storm," is seeking assistance from members of Congress to address what he said is a worsening issue.

"(Such flooding events) are an anxiety-provoking experience for many people. This is something we need to look into with help from all authorities — local, state and federal," Wildes told Patch. "All hands on deck are necessary to resolve this."

He spoke directly with Rep. Bill Pascrell, who has since replied to Wildes in a letter stating that he is committed to helping communities throughout the Ninth Congressional District mitigate future flooding.

"I regret hearing that the (Englewood) community is still suffering from water damage caused by heavy rain events," Pascrell said in the letter. "Continued development in northern New Jersey, coupled with the effects of climate change, are leading to more dangerous weather events."

In order to better understand flooding concerns, Pascrell requested, in the letter, that the Englewood city engineer provide his office with details of recent flood events, including an estimate of property damage and which areas were affected.

"Our city engineer is on top of making appropriate assessments," Wildes told Patch.

With this information, Pascrell said, his office can request a site visit of the Overpeck Creek at Englewood with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to scope the feasibility of any flood mitigation projects.

Although, Pascrell said, he is aware the Army Corps has reviewed the waterway in the past, "it seems like it's time for a re-evaluation."