Hurricane Irene Anniversary, Planning Board, School Board Meetings This Week

Tuesday marks the anniversary of Hurricane Irene, a storm which caused the most severe flooding in the Pascack Valley since Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999.

Since the storm, state and federal grant money has become available to help some homeowners get out of flood-prone areas, but many residents are still worried another storm could cost them thousands of dollars worth of damage.

When a recent storm caused sudden but little flooding along the Pascack Brook, Westwood Mayor John Birkner credited the dam in the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir with helping slow the rate of water flowing into the brook because it was during the storm.

Check back with Patch for a more detailed look at what has happened since Irene and what issues still have residents concerned about flooding.

Westwood School Board Meets Thursday

The Westwood Regional Board of Education is holding a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Jr./Sr. High School.

The board will likely be making final approvals before the start of the new school year, which starts September 6.

Check out Patch's features on and . We've also got .

Hillsdale Planning Board Meets Tuesday

The Hillsdale Planning Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in due to construction in the Municipal Building.

The board will likely hear a plan for a home which needs a setback variance for a proposed addition.

Closing arguments for a plan to build a new apartment building on Orchard Street will likely be heard at the board's next meeting September 5.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.