Storm cleanup underway across Tri-State; some power outages remain, NJ Transit delays and changes
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- With the rain finally moving away from the Tri-State, residents will have a better chance to scope out the damage left behind by drenching downpours.
Downed trees, power lines, and even flash flooding brought some neighborhoods to a standstill as they lost power.
In Paramus, they are still cleaning up from the weekend storms.
"This is all from our neighbor's property. So, the trunk of the tree is still on their property, but the whole majority of their tree is here now. And we have a deck right there. You can barely see it. That's right," a resident said.
At the height of the storm, nearly 200,000 were without power in New Jersey. The situation has improved, although 26,000 are still impacted.
A hundred homes and 25 businesses in Neptune City all have some type of flood damage.
Public works crews have been going around town and the impacted areas cleaning up the remainder of the debris.
Lots of the flooding happened on the east end of town near Route 35 and Third Avenue.
One of the businesses, Callie Creamery, got about a foot of water while people were inside of the store.
Tuesday morning, they estimated they lost more than $20,000 worth of equipment.
Neptune City got almost five and a half inches of rain in just a two-hour period.
Police say it happened at the same time as high tide which is what made it worse.
"It was a disaster. We walked outside and the water was like knee high," said business owner, Pete Delleani. "And the Neptune police took us out in like the National Guard-type trucks."
A baseball training facility was drying out and trying to salvage what they can.
"We were holding the camp for like age eight through 12 yesterday," Delleani said. "So, we had, like, 10, 12 kids in here."
Cellphone video shows the kids and coaches climbing up a ladder in and into a high water rescue truck after Delleani waved it down.
"The guy pulled in and is like, let me see inside, and he opened the door and got on the radio and said, 'we need to get these kids out of here,'" Delleani said.
It was a miracle in Ocean Township when no one was hurt when a BJ's Wholesale Club's roof caved in.
Twenty-seven people were inside at the time Monday morning and two became trapped but managed to free themselves.
The location will be closed indefinitely while repairs are made.
Elsewhere in the township, some residents Eyewitness News spoke with were sorting through what they could save their flooded basement, and what has to be thrown out.
Resident Brian Marshall said he had about nine inches of water in his basement. His street is one of the lowest lying areas in the township.
Storm waters raged down the street on Monday, pushing through the grill of a car parked along the road, and heavy rain left more than a few backyards looking like ponds.
Meantime, NJ Transit was still operating with some changes for commuters on Tuesday.
The Morris and Essex line rail service is operating on a modified weekday schedule between Morristown and Penn Station New York/Hoboken Terminal.
Gladstone Branch rail service is operating on a regular weekday schedule.
Montclair-Boonton line rail service will operate on a modified weekday schedule.
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