Crime & Safety

Another Flood Watch Issued Until Tuesday Morning

The Pascack Brook reached flood stage over the weekend.

Updated at 10:52 p.m.

The second flood watch in less than a week was issued for a large area including Westwood and Hillsdale Monday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for eastern Bergen County and many other parts of the tri-state area lasting from Monday afternoon until Tuesday morning.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain are expected to fall in the area, according to the NWS. That rainfall, combined with already-saturated ground from the storm Friday and Saturday, could cause some flooding.

There was some minor flooding near the Pascack Brook late Friday and early Saturday morning after the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea passed through the area.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Residents had asked the Department of Environmental Protection to order the water level in the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir to be lowered ahead of the storm, but DEP officials refused. United Water, the utility company which owns the reservoir, typically only releases water when ordered to by the state. Members of the Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group protested United Water's dam operations Friday evening.

The water level in the reservoir rose steadily Monday. By 10 p.m., water was at 94.95 feet. The gates are typically opened when the level hits 95.25 feet.

These storms have come just days before a public presentation by an engineer who examined the potential effects on flooding that could be caused by United Water's plan to upgrade the Woodcliff Lake Dam. The presentation will be made during the Hillsdale Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Borough Hall.

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


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.