Monsey Hit Hard by Rain Storm

By Matis Glenn

Rockland Chaverim were “flooded” with calls from people stuck in cars and homes Tuesday, as torrential rains pummeled the area.

As the water levels climbed, many buildings were damaged, cars were stuck on inundated highways, and power lines were down.

Chaverim received over 500 calls from Tuesday night until 12 p.m. Wednesday, Director Yossi Margareten told Hamodia.

Rockland Chaverim volunteers worked around the clock to rescue people, drain out their homes, and secure downed power lines.

The Town of Ramapo provided Chaverim with sandbags, used to prevent water from entering homes. Chaverim dispatched two teams; one would deploy the sandbags, and the other would pump water out of homes that were already flooded or which had flooding that broke through the sandbag defenses.

To answer the calls, Chaverim enlisted the help of 15 dispatchers.

A total of 12 people needed to be rescued from cars in Rockland County due to the storm, including one man who was driving on the Palisades at 2 a.m. when water began entering his vehicle.

Chaverim were able to reach the flooded areas with the help of a special Jeep with high wheels designed for this purpose.