By Kay Scrimger
September 19, 2011

Hurricane Irene brought destruction all up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the United States at the end of August and continuing into September and beyond.

Irene’s damage to cities and towns continues to challenge mayors and city governments – trees and power lines downed, roof shingles ripped off, millions of homes and businesses without power, antique wooden bridges in Vermont and upstate New York ruined, thousands displaced, deaths, areas of the urban landscape destroyed, and major cleanup still ongoing in many areas.

As one onlooker said, “With Irene, we prepared for heavy winds but ended up with water damage from unprecedented flooding.”

On August 31, Paterson (NJ), the state’s third largest city at almost 150,000 residents, was fighting back the highest floodwaters in more than one hundred years.

In an interview with The New York Times, Paterson Mayor Jeffery Jones estimated that more than 6,000 people in his city had been affected. The Passaic River had swept through the town, cresting at a record level of 14 feet, flooding the downtown, displacing thousands, and forcing closure of its five bridges.

Jones said, “It’s just complete devastation. We’ve lost our businesses, and folks are wondering what’s available and where the help comes from.”

More than a hundred people were rescued from the rising waters after the storm. In the flood’s wake came piles of debris and muddy water stains on homes and businesses as well as water containing debris, chemicals, garbage, and unknown contents. As the mayor pointed out, floodwaters carry multiple risks.

On a tour of the city at the Passaic River’s waters were rising, Jones said, “This city is no stranger to tough times.” We have committed and engaged almost every possible resource to dealing with this challenge, and we will continue to protect our people to the very best of our ability, he emphasized.

Jones is a life-long resident of Paterson. Having served as President of the city council, he ran for mayor and was elected in May 2010. He was sworn into office on July 1, 2010.

Asked how to characterize the people of Paterson, he said, in one word, “resilient.”

On a tour of Paterson on August 31, with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared, “This is as bad as I’ve seen, and I’ve been in eight states that have been impacted by Irene.”

On the same day, President Barack Obama declared New Jersey a disaster area and announced that he would visit the city in the next week. The President said, “We are going to make sure we provide the resources needed.”