Dam Helped Prevent Flooding, Birkner Says

The could have been more severe if the dam at the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir had not been set at a low level before the storm began, according to Westwood Mayor John Birkner.

The dam was set at 90.3 feet the afternoon before the storm hit and was raised to almost 94 feet in just a few hours, according to Birkner. The storm proved that United Water should follow the operational guidelines suggested by last year, he said.

The report recommends that United Water keep the dam at the lower level now used in the winter year-round so that it can be raised during storms like the one last week to slow the rate of water flowing into the Pascack Brook.

"Had the dam level been at 95 feet, it most certainly would have flooded," Birkner said.

In Westwood, the most serious flooding was on Old Hook Road near the hospital. Several cars became stuck in water there. Fire Chief Jaymee Hodges said that flooding there was caused by a drainage ditch between Westwood and Emerson.

Emergency responders said Hillsdale was hit hardest by the storm, though the worst flooding was uphill from the brook and the reservoir on Wierimus Road, where four cars got stuck in water. Water also damaged the surface of Melville Road, which meets Wierimus near the spot where the cars got stuck.

Borough Administrator Jonathan DeJoseph told Patch Melville Road will need to be repaved.

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