'We Woke Up With Heavy Hearts': Maplewood Mayor On Losses During Ida, Anti-Flood Plans

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — After an unprecedented storm took the lives of a Maplewood dad a year ago, as well as the parents of a Maplewood woman, the town has continued advocating for improvements to protect residents from future flooding.

Last year, Maplewood father of two Patrick Jeffrey, 55, was killed in rushing floodwaters as he tried to clear storm drains during the remnants of Hurricane Ida. And a local woman lost both of her parents, professors at Iona college, that night.

While forecasters warned of a strong storm, no one could know that Hurricane Ida — which had been downgraded to a tropical depression by the time it reached New Jersey — could dump enough rain in a short time to cause 30 fatalities statewide.

The storm brought more than 7 inches of rain to Essex and Union counties.

Victim Patrick Jeffrey lived across the street from Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis.

Dafis said Thursday, "Today is definitely a tough day on this first anniversary. [Jeffrey] was my neighbor. We all woke up today with heavy hearts. That should have never happened to anyone. [We also lost] the parents of a resident. I'm thinking about her and how she lost both of her parents that night."

Dafis said that the town has filed for permits for flood prevention improvements to be made to the culvert along Maple Terrace and Mountain Avenue. He said that he had spoken to the state DEP to make sure they understand the extent of the tragedy.

"The regulations are very complicated," he said, noting that there are different rules if the area qualifies as wetlands.

He said that after the town gets the permits from the state, they'll hopefully start the work in the spring.

Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy visited Hillsborough, where two people died in the storm, to mark Ida's one-year anniversary. He said some residents had still not returned home after the storm. READ MORE: Ida's Devastation Still Grips New Jersey

He talked about what the state will do to protect neighborhoods from the inevitable extreme weather in the future.

Experts have said that New Jersey's infrastructure was not made for extreme storms. Find out what they recommend for the future here. READ MORE: Why Is NJ Flooding Getting Worse, And What To Do?

Find the flood map for the Maplewood area here.

Read about FEMA funds for Maplewood residents and businesses here.

Where Are The Hurricanes In 2022?

As opposed to last summer, there have been no named hurricanes so far this year, which scientists have offered theories about.

However, there were three tropical disturbances in the Atlantic on Thursday, including Tropical Storm Danielle, which was expected to become Hurricane Danielle. It's not expected to hit the East Coast.

Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

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